A Place to Call Home
by KoriC
Summary: Sasuke could abandon his thirst for destruction, but he couldn't return to a place that had never been his home. After a meeting with a familiar stranger, he finds himself at Konoha's gates, unsure of what he'll find. MPREG, Yaoi/slash, angst, language, Eventual Sasunaru
1. Prologue

**Warnings:** Slash/Yaoi, Sexual themes, **Mpreg**, angst, ooc (Hopefully minimal), language, vague and obvious spoilers until 601.

**Notice: **I have no beta, (I would love one, but I prefer to be able to talk to my beta about plot points, I know zero people in this fandom :c).

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any characters that appear in Naruto. I write for fun, not for profit.

**Pairings:** For now I'll only disclose Sasunaru

**A Place to Call Home**

Prologue

He didn't know when it had all started. Chasing after Sasuke had always been his goal, one that consumed him and Naruto couldn't figure out why it hadn't torn his life apart sooner. Of course, he had been devastated upon waking up all those years ago with vague memories of the bastard's chidori ripping through his chest. It had never been about his near death though, no, he was disgusted that after all his hard work and everything he felt and thought with his entire being, that it still wasn't enough. He wasn't strong enough to persuade the Raven from his revenge, and as much ground that he gained in his pursuit of a friend it seemed the more of his spirit was lost.

The people around him had no idea, sure, poor Naruto trains so hard only to fail. It must be difficult to work for nothing, but they had no idea that every unsuccessful attempt was not a blow to his ego, to his very way of life. They all foolishly believed Naruto did this for affections of a girl, to save his friend, but they were all wrong, Naruto had been wrong about it as well.

he had it pinned down to the first time he saw Sasuke after their battle at the Valley of the End, at Orochimaru's lair. They stood chest to chest, and all Naruto had to do was lean inches forward to press his body against the older boy's. He could smell Sasuke's natural scent, cool and damp like freshly rained earth and as he stood, facing his death he was overwhelmingly calm inside. So long as it was Sasuke's hand that stole his breath, it would somehow have been okay. Perhaps he could give his life to make the bastard realize his mistakes, that his death could snap the Raven from his vengeful reverie. All Sasuke had to do was ask. They were foolish thoughts, but he had already resigned to that title. It took Sai's intervention to steel Naruto's resolve never to give up and he watched Sasuke's eyes drift to the other raven. It had happened too quickly, that earthy scent was gone and he was left in the familiar company of his team. It took a hand on his shoulder for him to tear his eyes from the spot Sasuke had previously occupied, and another piece of him fell away as he and Sakura turned and dragged their feet home.

* * *

He vaguely remembered uttering the words "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time…there will be a next time. So cheer up, Sakura," against Sakura's shoulder upon their return home, his arms loosely around her tense frame. She had shrugged it off and with a nod and offered him sad smile. Naruto plastered his familiar grin onto his face and patting her back he made his way home, glad to be out of Hokage tower where they had debriefed. Once settled back at home he lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and recalling their failed mission and couldn't help the stab of guilt between his ribs. Promises were often a fickle thing, and he had recounted his promise to Sakura so often and had believed it then. He could only wish that he had promised her that he would never fall in love with the bastard. If only he had promised, then maybe, maybe he wouldn't know how it felt to betray Sakura. Perhaps he wouldn't know what it was like to feel truly heartbroken.

Receiving the news that Orochimaru was dead had brought a hope to Naruto that he hadn't felt since catching up with Sasuke on his way to the snake-bastard's lair. Surely now, Sasuke would return, why else would he stay away? When he had been informed otherwise his face fell, and his spirit dampened, but he didn't let this blow wither his will. Instead it was the drive that without a serpent tongue in Sasuke's ear, maybe he would listen to reason.

* * *

His third attempt did not fare well; Naruto was reluctant to return home thrice the failure. He rested a hand on his stomach, recalling the sensation of Sasuke's arm through his clone's stomach and felt thankful for Sasuke's brief touch.

* * *

Their fourth meeting was unexpected and untold. They had been given a minor mission after the death of Itachi, for reasons he couldn't remember now. They were in a small town, perhaps sniffing out signs for Sasuke before a full-fledged search, perhaps someone needed protecting? Naruto wasn't sure. During Naruto's stroll back to the inn his teammates occupied he had never imagined he'd see Sasuke stepping out of a restaurant. Naruto had been completely frozen as their eyes met, Sasuke stilled for several moments before he simply turned and walked and Naruto fell into step behind him. They were silent as they made their way to the privacy of Sasuke's room and the raven turned to him. "You know I'm going to bring Konoha to ruin," It was a confirmation and nothing else, and all Naruto could do was nod his eyes downcast. "You won't stop me," he continued and stepped in front of the blonde, who remained uncharacteristically silent. "You can't," the sharpened words wounded deeply, but Naruto refused to agree.

Sasuke's hands had roughly settled on Naruto's shoulders, squeezing hard. Their second kiss wasn't any more sophisticated than their first, their teeth clicked, lips bruised and burned in a way only those denied and forever starved of affection could know. Before Naruto could think of his innocence, he was bare, quilt at his back and Sasuke between his thighs. There was nothing gentle about the pale calloused fingers that scraped along his flesh, fingers that hastily prepared him, nor the lips that burned him from the inside out. Naruto clung to the other man in desperation as Sasuke entered his body, yanking at raven locks and blunt nails tearing through the flawless flesh of Sasuke's back. It was in desperation that Naruto cried out with as they found their release in one another. Naruto's chin rested on Sasuke's shoulder and silently hoped that his anguish went unnoticed. "Why?" he whispered, his lips against Sasuke's ear, and he knew that it wasn't love that had Sasuke between his thighs and in his arms. "It's over, why can't you just come home?" he never once raised his voice.

"Quit being a child!" Sasuke had growled and tried to remove himself from where he was crushing the blonde, but dark fingers grasped at him tightly hoping to keep him. Sasuke had ceased his struggles and with a heavy breath, continued "I have no home, I have nothing and will stop at nothing until Konoha is no more…They don't deserve u-…They don't deserve anything but my revenge". Naruto wasn't sure what Sasuke was going to say, but he realized it was the most his friend had said to him in years. "You don't know me Naruto, quit being a fool," he ended had ended in a whisper.

When Sasuke had drifted off into sleep, Naruto's eyes remained on the ceiling, his fingers gently combing through raven tresses. Naruto had known that Sasuke meant farewell in his actions, but Naruto refused to believe in it. "I know enough, bastard," he murmured softly as he too drifted off with dreams that Sasuke may one day let him know more.

Sasuke had trusted him enough to sleep, knowing that Naruto would never abuse that night, that moment to take him home unwillingly in his moment of vulnerability. He trusted Naruto just as much as Naruto trusted that Sasuke would be gone when he woke. It had been dawn and when he met up with Sakura and the others at the inn he feigned a smile, told him he had decided to train and his disappearance had been forgotten.

* * *

Sakura's eyes were wide when Naruto spoke; they were the only two awake at their camp on their way back to Konoha. "I'm sorry…it sounded like you just said-"

"I'm in love with Sasuke," Naruto repeated, hadn't moved from the flame, he recalled that heat on his skin two nights prior. "I didn't know until," He trailed off and rested his cheek against his knee. "I didn't mean…" he couldn't put on a smile for this one, he couldn't assure Sakura that everything would be okay, not when he had already slept with the man she loved. "I understand if you hate me," Naruto said pathetically, it would hurt to have her look at him with disregard again, but he could bare it if it was for Sasuke.

Sakura had been silent and time seemed to slow. "Naruto," It was hardly a whisper before her arms grasped him tightly. "We'll get through this," she murmured and he knew, from the hitch in her breath that she was crying but accepted whatever fate they would fall to.

* * *

Their last night had almost broken Naruto, he had spoken with everything in his heart to sway Sasuke's judgment on the village, and instead of standing with the other Uchiha men, he stood with Naruto. The battle had almost robbed them both of their lives, but there they lay amongst the destruction of the world about them. It was unknown to Naruto whether his friends lived or died, his focus did not break from Sasuke. The raven was face down on the ground, breath ragged and blood caking to his cheeks.

"Come home," Naruto whispered softly, it was all he could do, though he longed to wipe the tears of blood from Sasuke's eyes. He couldn't hold onto consciousness long enough to hear a reply, if there was one.

They were gathered a short time later and brought to the medical tents. Sasuke hadn't been apprehended on the sole purpose that he was injured, had played a major role in their victory, and there were far too many injured and dying that needed to be taken care of.

Naruto had awoken first, thanks to Kurama's speedy healing. Like many others they were afforded no more than a thin mat on the ground. When he had seen Sasuke across from him he smiled, and reached a shaking hand to grasp Sasuke's.

They would be there a week before the healthy began the long transport home, hearts remaining heavy with every loss recorded. Naruto was almost completely healed, but under direction of the medic nins of Suna, he was confined to this small tent with Sasuke. He had woken two days after Naruto, but said very little, and it was another two before without warning he crawled his way over to Naruto and hovered over him as he stared down into unblinking azure. Every question Naruto had asked him went without reply over the past week, and he knew then that Sasuke was finally going to answer. It was wordless and Naruto had expected it to be, and as Sasuke rid them of their clothes and pulled him into his lap he knew this was another attempt at goodbye.

Naruto clung to Sasuke's shoulders, and feeling the gentle caress of Sasuke's lips on his throat caused his brow to furrow and his knuckles to furl. "Damn you, you asshole," he whispered harshly, burying his face in Sasuke's shoulder, he couldn't face the raven this way. "I hate you," he whispered. He didn't know how much more Sasuke could take from him before Naruto had nothing left to give. Sasuke remained silent as he took the time to prepare Naruto's body with an ointment left behind, leaving the blonde shivering and shuddering in anticipation as he lined himself up. Their initial joining was silent; it was Sasuke's hands on his hips that eventually urged him to move. He hung on as the pleasure tore through him cruelly, pooling in his belly as his hips undulated, grinding hotly against Sasuke's. They rode out their orgasm together, a low growl in Sasuke's throat and a silent cry in Naruto's lest anyone hear. Naruto didn't want to let go, he slumped heavily against the Raven, his fingers pressing bruises into Sasuke's shoulder blades and he shook his head. For the first time, he wept in front of the other man. "Tell me," he whispered on the tail of a broken voice. "Tell me that this was more than attraction…please," he begged quietly into the pale column of Sasuke's throat. "That it was more than just lust," the raven was silent as he took Naruto's arms and urged him to let go and lay back. He could hardly handle those dark eyes watching him, "Please!" he had never felt this sort of desperation before, it was suffocating him.

"In this darkness," Sasuke said softly, and this one time only he stroked Naruto's messy bangs from his eyes. "You've been the only other thing I could focus on," He said and Naruto could hear the honesty in his voice.

Throwing an arm over his eyes Naruto let out a strangled noise, "Leave," he urged, and when Sasuke made no moves he growled. "Leave! Before I tell someone!" he said and he pushed Sasuke back, shivering as the raven pulled from his body. Sasuke had dressed, and Naruto could have sworn the raven had paused at the entrance to the tent, just for a moment before he was gone.

* * *

Naruto had returned home and attempted to let Sasuke leave and it simply felt like he had given another part of himself away. He braved a smile as they got everyone settled back into their homes and Naruto made every attempt to pick up the life he allowed Sasuke to ruin. He went on missions, and when he was home he spent what time he could with his friends, and after two months he found himself with bouts of sickness that had him bent over the toilet most nights. He remembered being frightened, it was very rare that he became ill, and after a week he sought council with Tsunade.

Pregnant? Naruto didn't know how to act as Tsunade had sat him down to explain what the Demon had messed up in his body, and when he was asked whether or not he wished to keep the child he had to pause and think. In fact, the decision was so large he had asked Tsunade to give him a couple of days and he retreated to his apartment. There was a certain dread that came with deciding the fate of this life. One might say Naruto couldn't terminate it, it went against everything he stood for, but despite being shy of his 17th birthday, he was capable of thinking maturely. He had to consider how the child may be treated, as a part of him, a vessel, and being born from a male. Though many of the villagers, shinobi especially, cared and respected him, the villagers had also shown they were capable of discrimination. He had to consider what he would tell Sasuke, what if he left? What if he wanted nothing to do with the child, and if he kept it, what would happen should the blood limit surface? Then Naruto thought about terminating the pregnancy, and his heart fell through his stomach and he shook his head. No…he didn't know how, but he loved whoever he had been blessed with, and the thought of parting with it broke his heart. Now there was simply the case of informing Sasuke, he had heard of sightings of the Raven, but Naruto had decided to let Sasuke be so he hadn't paid them any attention until now.

* * *

Naruto had kept closer tabs on Sasuke afterwards, keeping his eye out for anything, and when he found him within fire country he had requested leave of the village for a short while. He mentioned staying with Gaara for a short time, before he grew too large to travel. He was granted leave on the condition that his team accompany him. Just before they left fire country Naruto slipped away during the night, and as awful as he felt to abuse their trust, they simply wouldn't understand.

It took him two days to narrow Sasuke's location, it was on a hope and a prayer that he wouldn't move on. The town was small, and Naruto thought briefly of their first night together and he let out a breath. It was eerie how similar the events were, finding him wandering the streets, and following him wherever without saying a word. Sasuke brought him outside of the village and Naruto waited until he stopped before he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm not coming back, why can't you just leave me be!" Sasuke growled out, and Naruto immediately felt the hostility and knew he had made a mistake, finding Sasuke by himself. They had never been like this before; Sasuke hadn't made any real attempt on his life since Orochimaru. "Let me make it clear, moron," Sasuke said, eyes flashing red and before Naruto could respond he was pinned to the tree, Sasuke's blade through his shoulder. Naruto's eyes were wide and he slumped, "S-sasuke…" He whispered pain evident in his voice. It wasn't fatal, but Naruto's only worry was his condition.

"Damn it! Why can't I-" Sasuke pulled back and punched the trunk beside Naruto's head and hunched over the blond panting. "Why can't I let you go?" He growled before yanking the blade clean from Naruto's flesh.

"Your cla-" Naruto started, but was cut off as he slowly slid down to the ground.

"I won't tell you again Naruto," Sasuke said, his voice just loud enough to understand. "Leave me, I won't miss next time,"

Naruto had watched as Sasuke left him again and had wondered who believed Sasuke's lie more. His decision had been confirmed, he would be alone to raise this child. Sasuke couldn't be trusted to do more than think of himself. Naruto's eyes drifted shut and everything went black.

When his eyes opened it was into Tsunade's worried eyes, she had started yelling before he could comprehend anything she was saying. "They brought you back just in time you brat!" Tsunade was livid, but all Naruto could do was smile. They had found him in time, and that was all that mattered, because Sasuke may have torn his life apart, but he had given him the perfect foundation to rebuild.

**TBC…**

Oookay. Writing in this manner is rather foreign to me, I don't know anybody in this fandom to bounce ideas and phrases off of, but I hope it worked out even just a little. This chapter, like I said, was to get the background out of the way. My timeline is somewhat true to the manga, but I wanted to keep everything vague, or we'd be here forever. The rest of the story will not be written in this manner. I have most of the plot points laid out, updates might be sporadic because of my school load, never because I'm stuck on where to go with this c:

Reviews are very much loved! I'd appreciate it if you could take the time to leave one~

I hope some of you enjoyed~

Koric


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the world of Naruto, nor any character that appears in it. I write for fun, not for profit.

**Warnings:** Language, violence, **Mpreg**, Angst, I have no beta

Chapter 1

It had been seven years since the war, and Sasuke had made it clear that he was to be on his own. He honestly didn't understand why people were infatuated with him; he had never tried to portray himself as anything more than off putting. Yet his former subordinates had made attempts to follow him as he made his way through the various countries. He had put their plans to a speedy halt, he had even put Naruto's plan to an end.

He hadn't seen the blonde since that night, and staring at the blade in his hand he let out a heavy breath and slumped in his seat. It seemed, after all this time the moron could still disrupt his life. It was infuriating; Sasuke did not desire affection from another. Every encounter he and the blonde had, he had been completely unwilling in his heart. He rubbed his shoulder with a heavy breath; He had kept very minor tabs on the blonde following his assault on him. He needed to make sure Naruto had stayed alive. He had been surprised that he had not seen him since that night, and Sasuke did his best to ignore that he was somehow disappointed in that fact.

Here he was though; he took private contracts to keep himself fed as he wandered the various countries. Seven years had been long enough and he found himself debating whether he should travel beyond the borders of the Shinobi. "Whoa, that's an awesome katana you have mister," a voice jolted Sasuke from his thoughts and he put on a scowl. "Can I see it?" The person said, obviously a child as he inched closer.

Sasuke frowned as he set eyes on the boy, he had a messy head of black hair and despite not being able to see his face, and he determined his voice couldn't be more than 8 years old. "I could put it through you, would that be close enough?" Sasuke offered gruffly.

"Very funny," The boy huffed and he turned to look up at Sasuke and what he saw momentarily rendered Sasuke speechless. "You're rude," He said with a sneer before he started digging in his pocket. When he found what he wanted he held his hand out with a pout, "Here!" he insisted.

Sasuke watched him, and though he was shocked to see the boy's bright blue eyes he didn't let his expression change. "What is it?" He didn't move, he could place those rich cerulean eyes in a second, it seemed that the world was dangling Naruto right in front of him in any way it could.

"Hold out your hand! It's not like I'm going to drop a cat turd in your hand," the boy insisted, childishly poking out his tongue. He stood there, staring at Sasuke, unwilling to let him win their staring contest. "You know, I'm supposed to head home today, I can't wait all day. Did you not understand? Hold out your hand!" he demanded.

With a heavy breath Sasuke finally held out his hand, and he knew that if it hadn't been for those eyes he would have just walked away. He blinked when he heard a light clinking and he looked into his hand to find a few coins. With a frown he stared at the boy, "I don't need your money," He said trying to push it back into the kids hand.

The boy let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, "Of course you don't know!" he said dramatically, "If you don't know manners you probably don't know you're not supposed to give back a gift," He said bouncing back two steps so Sasuke couldn't try and give him the coins back. "My uncle always gets super grumpy and mean when he's hungry, you should go buy yourself some food!" He said with a sunny smile.

"Food…you think I'm hungry?" Sasuke said raising an eyebrow. "I'm not-"

"Geez your fussy!" the kid said and he reached to snatch the coins back. "Fine! Fine! Nana's right people are a pain in the...butt…" he said with a frown before he ran off leaving Sasuke completely dumbfounded.

Shaking his head Sasuke just leaned back, he was sitting on a bench against a stone wall, he was taking a brief break before he headed out. He was trying to think of which route he should take, and how much he should spend on supplies. Before he could even get back to his plans he felt someone pressed against his side. Tensing he turned to see the boy sitting here, a bunch of things in his arms. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he was far more aware of his surroundings than this. He should have just left.

"Take this!" the boy said pushing a warm bun into his hands before looking at everything he had. "and…this one too," he said pushing a cherry tomato of all things into his other hand.

"What the hell are you doing, you're being a pain," Sasuke said with a frown as he looked at the food in his hands.

"I'm _trying_ to help you, I even gave you the bigger one!" the boy said with an exasperated sigh, "And don't say words like that! I'm only six you old man!" he said as he ripped his own bun open pushing his own cherry tomato inside before taking a big bite out of it. "What's your name?" He asked with his mouth full before shaking his head and swallowing. "No, wait! It's rude to ask before introducing yourself. I bet you didn't know that one either," he grinned, "I'm Naoyuki…_nooow_ what's yours?" he asked taking another bite out of his bread.

"You should run back to your mother," Sasuke snorted as he actually moved to pop the cherry tomato into his mouth.

"I don't need a mom," Naoyuki said with a huff as he stared down at his food, "Maybe you should run back to yours!" he said angrily.

The kid was starting to get dangerously on his nerves, "Maybe I don't have one," he said icily.

"Maybe I don't have one either!" he hadn't even had time to be happy that the stranger had accepted his offering of food. He was staring down at his lap after that, and he was quiet for a very long time, unmoving.

With a heavy sigh Sasuke placed his bun down on his bag and he reached behind him and unsheathed his blade, and with a quick movement he held it in front of the boy. "Don't cut yourself, brat," He mumbled, not letting go of the blade.

Naoyuki's eyes widened as he stared at the metal in front of him and he reached out and very carefully ran his finger over the flat edge up to the hilt. "Whoa…" he said softly and he leaned up to look at the handle. "I wish I knew how to use one," He mumbled softly, "Dad doesn't like them though, it's weird he likes Kunai, but this would weird him out," He said.

The boy continued to chatter away and after a few moments Sasuke withdrew the blade from the boy's gaze and he reached for the bun. Breaking off a piece he ate it and didn't miss the smile it put on the boy's face.

"Naoyuki!" came a cry from the town and the boy's head snapped up.

"Oh no…" He mumbled as he quickly stood up. "That sounds like my aunt," He mumbled before turning to Sasuke with a grin. "Thanks old man!" he said before he dashed off, preparing himself for a scolding for running off.

Sasuke watched the boy run off with a raised brow, and with a sigh he ate the last piece of bread before standing up. It was about time that he left this place; he needed to pick a warmer cloak. He had been so busy wondering about the brat that he didn't notice the woman's voice had sounded familiar.

Sasuke had been routing through the shops only an hour later when he heard something that had his blood boiling. He stared down at the cloak in his hand but his attention was completely on the women one stall over.

"No, it's true, the kid was talking to me. He was a sweet little thing, bought me this hair clip," she said with a smile, holding up a cheap little flower clip, "He gave it to me because he thinks I'm pretty," she said with a laugh. "Anyhow, I asked him what his name was and he said Uchiha, I don't remember his first name though, I was so surprised," she sounded astonished.

Sasuke's eyes were wide, and they flickered red just a moment as he reached for his money and paid for the cloak.

"You must have heard wrong, I heard that they were all wiped out, the last of them in the war," the other woman said as she took the pin from the other woman and used it to pull her hair back. "Whoever that little boy was, he was right, you are pretty," She said with a smile.

"You're too nice, besides, I know I heard him right," she said before she started heading to another booth, saying her goodbyes to the other woman.

Sasuke growled and after putting away the cloak hastily he stalked after them. He grabbed the woman with the hair clip roughly by the arm and forced her to turn. "This child, how long ago did you see him?" he said.

"Why?" She whimpered pathetically, her free hand moving to try and dislodge Sasuke's hand, but it didn't move.

"Because I'm the only remaining Uchiha," His voice was low and to prove a point, his Sharingan flickered. "Don't make me force you," He threatened, in a low voice.

"T-this morning! He said they were travelling from Suna!" she said beginning to pour out all the information she knew.

"Was he with anyone?" He asked, "His father?" He asked as he dragged her just a little closer.

"He was with a black haired man with black eyes! That's all I know, I swear!" She said, her nails digging into Sasuke's wrist, tearing his flesh.

"Fine," He said tossing her arm away, he noticed some people mumbling around him and he decided to leave before their forces arrived. Suna…he didn't know why there would be an Uchiha living there, but it didn't matter. As soon as he was able to gather his things from the inn he moved out toward Suna, an aura of absolute hate surrounding him.

* * *

It frustrated him beyond words when he did not stumble upon any travelers with the description of these two people. Even as he made his way into the city, he found no one. He made sure to hide his face, and he began his interrogation throughout the town center. He wouldn't dare cause a scene in the middle of Suna, not when he knew who the Kazekage was. He didn't need the man sending his forces after him, nor did he wish to be transported back to Konoha, certainly not in chains.

After a week, staying off the radar he finally gathered one tip of information from a successful vendor. The boy was popular in Suna. He had been described as a refreshing light, and though he only visited a few times a year, he was even beloved by their often stoic Kazekage. With the news he gained from this vendor he found himself on the road again, to a place he never thought he'd step foot in once more.

He stood a fair distance from Konoha, he could see the gates, and he was almost frozen. He had been so determined, and yet he knew that infiltration wouldn't be as easy as it had been in Suna. People here knew his face, and though he was so much older now he still looked so distinguishably like his younger self. He tried not to think of whether or not he'd see Naruto.

Shaking off his thoughts he made his way forward, and although he had made it in, his identity didn't remain secret for long. He was in the middle of Konoha when he heard someone land behind him, turning he saw a familiar face and his lip quirked. "Well, I never thought I'd see you willingly within these walls. What do you want, Uchiha?" the man asked in a deep voice.

"You're supposedly a genius, you tell me," Sasuke said, watching the man's movements, making sure to watch out for those nasty shadows.

Shikamaru sighed heavily, "You assume that I care enough to know," he said. "You know you'll be apprehended right? You may be elusive, but you're in too deep now".

"Where's the Uchiha?" Sasuke growled then, "I know they're here, I have confirmation that they're here," He demanded an answer.

"They? I think you've been misinformed, the only one I see here is you," Shikamaru said his head tilting and his hands remained stuffed in his pockets.

Sasuke's eyes widened a moment, Sharingan activating and he concentrated before he shot forward just before Shikamaru began to form the hand seals for his Shadow Imitation. The fight was an unfair one, Shikamaru may be intelligent, and surely he had been thinking of a strategy the entire time they spoke, but he was quite unmatched for Sasuke. He didn't have enough time to act before Sasuke's hand closed around his wrist and in a quick hard movement, snapped it. Shikamaru couldn't stop the small cry of pain as he crumpled to the ground, only to have Sasuke force him back, foot placed firmly on his neck. "Tell me where the other Uchiha are, don't you dare lie to me," He said, the look on his face Menacing.

"He's none of your business Sasuke," came a familiar voice, Sasuke's head snapped up when he heard the familiar blonde in front of him and Sasuke snarled.

"Why not? I think it's a perfect time for a family reunion, why don't you bring me to him Naruto?" He said with a smirk.

"You'll have to kill me just to get a look at him, asshole," Naruto said before taking a defensive stance. "Now why don't you leave poor Shikamaru alone and fight someone more your pace," Naruto said, an unusual deathly seriousness in his voice.

"My pace? I don't think that exists in this sorry place," Sasuke said putting more pressure on Shikamaru's throat for just a moment before he laid a hard kick to his face, to keep the brunette out of their way. He then took off after Naruto, wondering why they had yet to be surrounded by other Konoha ninjas.

"You know they're going to apprehend you Sasuke, you shouldn't have come back," Naruto said, raising his arms to block Sasuke's first attack. It was the only thing he could say before he was forced backwards, avoiding Sasuke's blows. Naruto found a brief opening and swiftly planted his foot against Sasuke's side, sending him firmly into the wall of a building and was able to form three Kage Bunshin and set out on a full offensive.

"You can't hide them forever Naruto!" He growled out as he hooked his fingers through a few shuriken in his pocket and with precise aim, took out two of Naruto's clones before blocking a blow intended for his head. "Not if you aren't going to take me seriously," Sasuke said and a short moment later. He could tell that Naruto was doing his best to keep the destruction around them minimal. He was knocked back with a well-placed combo to his chest. With a cruel smirk there was a faint crackle in the air before his Chidori current surrounded them. It took only a moment for the current to rip through Naruto's final clone and behind him he could even hear Shikamaru's groan of pain from where he lay behind Sasuke. Naruto made a last ditch effort to get out of range, but it was too late. With a cry Naruto fell back and before he could recover Sasuke had run forward, the distinguishable ring of his Katana could be heard as he unsheathed it.

"No!" Came the sharp cry of a child and before Sasuke could reach Naruto a small black haired boy threw himself in front of the blonde.

Sasuke came to a skidding halt as he stared at the boy who had so forcibly fed him earlier that month. Naoyuki stood there defiantly arms spread wide, kunai in hand, and a look of pure determination on his face. He could no sooner mistake the incomplete Sharingan the child had activated than he could mistake those blue eyes. The first sound was Sasuke's katana falling to the ground; the second was the distinctive thump as he fell to his knees, unable to turn away. "Impossible…" he whispered in a broken voice, but he could see it now. The boy was as pale as he was, the same hair colour, and thin lips. His brow was undeniably his mother's. He had Naruto's eyes, face shape, nose and unruly hair; there was absolutely no mistaking it. This was his son. The very thought of it snapped something deep within him and he felt his heart wrench in his chest. He let out a strangled noise as he did something he couldn't remember doing since he was a child, he wept.

Naruto was up only seconds later, wrapping his arms around the boy's chest and pulling him back. "Naoyuki, get out of here!" He said with a laboured voice, and behind them the sounds of footsteps and alarmed voices could be heard "I told you to go straight home!"

"No! I'm not going to let this old man hurt you dad!" He cried out, struggling in Naruto's hold. "I don't know who you are! But I didn't think you were this evil!" he yelled out, confirming that he remembered who Sasuke was.

"Nao, go home!" Naruto tried to push him back, keeping one eye on Sasuke and trying to fight Naoyuki's protest.

"I surrender," Sasuke said from his spot on the ground, "I won't fight," he sounded broken. Even as other Jounin finally surrounded him he couldn't look away from Naoyuki. His arms were bound in Chakra limiting binds, and he was roughly dragged to his feet. As he was dragged away he could see the boy tightly wrapping his arms around Naruto's neck and he thought he heard the boy demanding to know if Nara was okay.

* * *

Sasuke had been placed in a maximum security holding cell, and it was hours of kneeling with his arms behind his back before the sound of the door opened. He had expected the Godaime to walk through the doors, instead there was Naruto. He stood in front of Sasuke for a long time, a grim look on his face that he knew too well.

"How did you find us?" Naruto asked, his fingers were playing with the hem of his black sweater.

"How did I find you?" Sasuke said quietly, lifting his head with a glare. "You keep my son from me and that's what you have to say is how did I find you? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, keeping his voice level only so he wouldn't be reprimanded.

"Would you have stopped thinking about your perfect self to listen, bastard?" Naruto said crossing his arms then, not willing to back down. "How did you know about him?" Naruto tried again, also trying to remain calm.

"I met him, in a small town on your way home from Suna. I heard someone mention a boy…you named him Uchiha, he told someone" he said then.

"That brat, I knew he was up to no good when he ran off," he sighed heavily before quickly getting angry again, "Don't you think for a damn second that I didn't think really hard about naming him Uzumaki, or even Namikaze!" Naruto tensed as he knelt down to look Sasuke in the eye. "I didn't think I owed you that much, but then again, I couldn't penalize your clan because you're stupid," He said.

Sasuke snorted, "I've been called a lot of things before, stupid has never been one of them," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, well get used to it, you haven't been smart in my books for years," Naruto said pouting like a child.

"You've always been stupid in my book, moron," was Sasuke's quick retort.

"Don't call me that you asshole!" Naruto growled and he sat up. "Give me one reason why they shouldn't keep you in here forever," Naruto said, but received no answer. He sighed and shook his head, "The old woman sent me in here to determine your judgement. Don't think that I won't leave you in here," Naruto threatened.

"I don't think you would," Sasuke said his eyes half lidded, "I have a son…our son, and we both know you couldn't take away a parent, like ours were taken from us," Sasuke said, trying to play his cards right.

"Yeah well, you have never cared about the lives you took, and who you were taking them away from before. Don't think I haven't heard about where you've been, and what you've been doing. Your list of crimes might be too big for me to save you from," Naruto said, standing his arms remaining crossed. "You know, one of these days I'm not going to be here to protect your ungrateful ass".

"Don't bring my ass into this, moron," Sasuke snorted as he shifted his weight on his knees, hearing his ankle crack in protest.

"I will when it's your ass on the line, you might be in here for a long time…but I don't think they'll kill you," Naruto explained. There was a long silence and Naruto stared at the wall, "Aren't you going to ask me how it happened?" he finally asked.

Sasuke was quiet too as he thought over the question, he could come to his own conclusions, but there was only one factor that concerned him. "Why should I? I have a son, that's all that matters to me," he answered truthfully. The wince the blonde gave in response didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah, well…he knows now, about you. He doesn't want anything to do with you," Naruto said honestly. He didn't do it to wound the Raven, he was preparing him for when they might meet again. "He says you owe him money," Naruto's brow raised.

"_Yeah_, _well_, in the long run I think I owe him a lot more than that," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I think you owe me a better explanation as to why you didn't tell me," he demanded once more.

"No, you told me to leave you alone. So when I found out, I left you alone. Now, stop being a child and convince me to save you. I'm tired of constantly letting you get your way," Naruto looked expectantly at him. He had always let Sasuke leave without consequence; he had let him leave seven years ago and never once pursued him afterward. He asked little or no questions.

"You know how much I wanted to revive my clan! You had no right to keep that from me when it was the only thing I ever wanted!" Sasuke growled when he heard the blonde laugh bitterly.

"Is that so? That's what you wanted, does he have half siblings running along the country side? Do you have some wife that was good enough for you Sasuke? Does she miss you right now? Well I guess she'll know what it's like to have you go missing, you're the definition of a flight risk, Naoyuki doesn't need someone as unstable as you in his life," Naruto was angry now.

Sasuke was tense as he stared at Naruto and after a few moments his anger withered and he slumped, head hung low. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't tried to find someone worthy enough over the years. "No…there's no one," He said quietly. "There's only you," he shook his head, it had always been Naruto.

The blonde was silent again before he turned to the door. "We live in your old house. I didn't have space in my apartment," Naruto said not turning to look at Sasuke anymore. "When you didn't return, everything went to Nao, as the last remaining Uchiha in Konoha. The rest was sold back because he doesn't need to be surrounded by silence," he explained. "You'll have to find somewhere to stay if you get out of here," and he left without another word.

* * *

Naruto didn't come back for an entire month, he wasn't sure if he was dealing with the council, or if he was actually going to let him rot in here. He acted like he knew who Naruto was, but in reality he knew there was a tension between them. Their child had torn a rift between them and Sasuke couldn't see the other side.

Kakashi had come into see him after two weeks. Much like Naruto when he came in he crouched in front of Sasuke, staring with his half lidded eye, like he was searching for what to say. Sasuke didn't really pay him any attention from where he lay in his cell.

"No…I don't like you at all," Kakashi said after a long time and he sighed as he sat up, looking bored.

"I'm not particularly fond of you either. Is that all, because it's much easier to be here without you breathing all over the place. Sasuke said sounding completely indifferent to the comment.

"I didn't like you too much when you left though," his former teacher said, scratching the back of his head. "Shame you came back after so long, everyone knows how to function without you now," He mused. For some reason, Kakashi never seemed to be malicious even when he was saying hurtful things. "You hurt that young boy, and I'll make sure they never find your body," Kakashi said with an eerily cheerful smile.

"You wouldn't be able to touch me, don't flatter yourself," Sasuke said rolling his eyes, "You had a hard enough time when I was 16".

"Not with the way you'll be living," Kakashi said before he headed to the door. "Good to have you back, Sasuke," He said before he left, and the Raven could only wonder if it was sincere.

His second visit was a bit of a surprise. He recognized the pink head of hair the second it popped through the door and he groaned inwardly as he sat up. He fixed a glare at the door, but when she stepped inside he was mildly shocked to see the giant swell of her stomach. It didn't stop him from the glare though. His ties to Sakura was one of the bonds he had been able to sever, she wasn't as persistent to keep his attention as Naruto was, so his affection for her was almost completely gone.

"I forgot that others would be procreating," Sasuke said and noticed her jaw tense.

"Yeah, the world doesn't revolve around you Sasuke," There was no affection in her voice. "I'm only here because we used to be on the same team," she said with the quirk of a lip as she found a place to sit down, her hand resting on her belly.

"Didn't seem like that when I left," He said his eyes dark, wondering how far he could push her before she got up and left.

"I think I let go of you the second I tried to kill you," Sakura said tilting her head. "Are you done being a grade A asshole?" She said the cursing sounding foreign from her tongue.

"Grade A? No, maybe B now," he said with a snort. "Don't think we're going to be friends or anything," he said absent mindedly.

"I don't really need to be your friend, I have my boys to worry about before I worry about you," she said. "I'm only here to talk about Naruto and Naoyuki," she said rubbing at a tender spot on her stomach.

"If it's another death threat, save your breath," Sasuke laid back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Leave Naruto alone, he's finally got himself figured out after what you did to him. I love him, and I can't watch you break him when he has to be focused on Nao," she said firmly. "He's not for you anymore," she finished.

Sasuke grunted and he closed his eyes not planning on responding, but he did think over the words. It was when she started to stand that he finally had some sort of an answer. "You know, for someone who's been around him for so long, you don't know him very well. He'd never let me break him," he said before he rolled over onto his side, away from his ex-teammate.

"If you're capable of actually caring about anything, you'll leave him alone Sasuke," she said before the door closed shut behind her, and he could vaguely hear her yelling outside about how much she hated him and wanted to break his nose. Sasuke could swear he heard Rock Lee's boisterous voice trying to calm her down.

Naruto didn't show up for another week and a half, he walked in the door and he moved to sit in front of Sasuke, his legs crossed. He rested his chin on his hand and stared at Sasuke with an almost goofy expression on his face. His lips were twisted and his eyes were wider than normal as he thought of how to start.

"You're going to be in here for six months," Naruto started and Sasuke frowned. "They were trying for two years, but I managed to convince them otherwise. When you're released your body is going to become a lovely little canvas, you're going to have layered seals. You won't be able to leave Konoha walls, and your access to chakra will be so limited you're going to think it's your first day at the academy," he continued quietly. "You'll have to be escorted everywhere you go when you're not inside. They haven't decided who you'll be staying with, but it will likely be a Jounin. Before you say anything, I don't want you in our house," Sasuke had a feeling that when Naruto said 'our' that didn't include Sasuke.

"For how long?" Sasuke said, clearly not happy with the chakra restriction, but at least he wouldn't be dead.

"Dunno, they said a trial period of a year, whether you stay under surveillance is reliant on your behaviour. Sorry to break it to you, but you have the rankest attitude I've ever seen. They are looking for every chance to terminate you, since Naoyuki's here," Naruto said rolling his eyes as he leaned back on one hand. "I'm supplying you with enough money to live on until they allow you to earn your own money. I'm partially responsible for you since it used to be your inheritance, and I'm the one who's keeping you breathing. If you want anything other than the basics, find your own work, I don't care what you do," he said waving his hand around to emphasize his point.

"How kind of you," Sasuke said, not really caring about his living arrangements. "What about Naoyuki?" Sasuke said. He had spent most of his free time wondering what the child was like. He knew that he was happy, and he knew he was protective, but was he smart? Did he adapt well to everything, what kind of foods did he like? He knew nothing about his own son, and part of him ached to learn.

"No, he still doesn't want to see you," Naruto said. "He's threatened to run away twice when Shikamaru tried to convince him otherwise," He sighed. "Look, it's not like I'm telling him everything you've done, or everything I've done, he's seemed to paint this picture of you all by himself," he said before Sasuke could ask. "If you're going to spend time with my son, you're going to have to follow my rules," Naruto said then.

"Why is Nara convincing our son what to do?" Sasuke said with a frown.

"That! That is something that's not going to happen if you're around him," Naruto said pointing a finger at Sasuke accusingly. "You aren't going to be your cold self, you aren't going to threaten my friends and family, you aren't going to insult them, and you aren't going to curse. You aren't going to lose your temper with him over stupid things, and under no circumstances are we planting seeds in his mind that suggest he can leave this village for power. I don't have time for your peacocking and muscle flexing. He's not going to learn your stupid perception on friendship, so if you're going to be difficult, stay away from us, Naruto said with as he slapped his hand back down on the floor. "We're happy, we have a family now that has chosen us, and I'm not going to have you interfere because you can't handle him spending time with anyone other than you," he said his jaw tense.

Sasuke waited to respond, to make sure Naruto was finished, "He has the Sharingan," he started, "I want to train him, or teach him since I don't have much Chakra use," he said.

"Che, as if. Unless it's absolutely necessary, Kakashi-Sensei will be teaching him. If for any reason you need to be included, we'll deal with it when we get there and only when we get there," He said. "I had been hoping he wouldn't inherit it, but who am I kidding. There's no way he wouldn't have inherited it," he mumbled.

"Kakashi can't fully utilize it," Sasuke started, trying to ignore the last jab at his heritage.

"I said we'll deal with it when we get there. I'm going to consult Kakashi-sensei on this, I'm not making any decisions by myself," He stated.

Sasuke fumed for a moment but finally relaxed. "Fine, I agree to your terms," He said. "When are they performing the seals?"

"Dunno, they're making an announcement of your sentence at the end of the week, so probably before then," he shrugged before he moved to stand up. "Oh, Nao doesn't like the quiet," He said looking over his shoulder, his hands on the door handle. "So you're going to have to learn to talk to him or you're just going to hurt him. I'll tell you more about it later, I'll…tell you more about him next time too…" he admitted before he disappeared through the door.

**TBC…**

There is the second installment. I didn't plan to submit this until at least the end of the week, but I also didn't plan to have it finished so soon. I really should be reading my assigned books, but I really wanted to actually start the story. Just for some clarification, Naruto was only a month shy of 17 at the end of the prologue, by the time Sasuke's released, Naruto will be 23.

Please review, it makes me feel oh so fuzzy inside c:

Koric


	3. Chapter 2

**Warnings:** Angst, language, mentions of violence, shonen ai, I keep up with the Manga, there may be spoilers and I may detour from the timeline from time to time.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any Naruto characters. I write for fun, not for profit.

Chapter 2

Naruto watched only for a moment as his fellow Shinobi dragged Sasuke away before he quickly ran over to Shikamaru, Nao's wrist firmly in his grasp. Crouching down he put his hand on the man's forehead, "Help is on the way, okay Shika?" he said sighing in relief as he felt no change in temperature.

Shikamaru shifted slightly and with a heavy sigh he looked up at the blonde, "How annoying, he ruined a good lunch didn't he Naoyuki?" Shikamaru said with a pitiful smirk and Naruto couldn't help but run his fingers through the man's hair.

"Are you going to be okay?" Nao asked quietly, hiding behind Naruto only half of his face peeked out.

Naruto let out a breath and his hand touched the side of Shikamaru's face, "Besides that wrist and that nasty bruise, he's going to be okay kiddo," he reassured the boy. "Oh, look, here they are," He murmured "I'll have to come and see you later okay?" He said and he leaned over, pressing his lips to Shikamaru's brow before moving to stand so the medics could treat the injured man.

"Yeah, yeah…you always have to deal with all those boring things," Shikamaru said groaning as he was poked and prodded by the medics. "Naruto, you should get yourself checked out," he sighed before letting his eyes shut. Naruto only shook his head, he felt fine. The residual ache from the unpleasant shock was already wearing away.

Naruto put his hand on Naoyuki's shoulder and the boy nodded, his teeth biting his lip. "I'm sorry," he said not meeting his dad's eyes.

Naruto sighed and smiled grimly, "Naoyuki…Did you even tell Grandma Tsunade like I asked?" he asked honestly. He watched silently as Naoyuki looked in the opposite direction of where they had taken Shikamaru. "Nao, you know I love you right?" the boy only nodded, and Naruto sighed as he crouched and forced the boy to look at him. "We're going to talk about this when I get home, but right now I need to bring you to your aunty Sakura's. I'm probably going to be home late," he explained. He was disappointed that Nao hadn't followed his instructions. Had he informed the old woman sooner, Sasuke could have been taken in and maybe Shikamaru would be faring a bit better. Instead Nao had endangered his own life, when Naruto's ultimate goal was to keep him safe and away from Sasuke.

"Okay…" Naoyuki said and he rubbed at his eyes despite the fact that he hadn't shed a single tear, "I'm really sorry dad, I didn't…I didn't mean to," he said as he followed his dad away from the scene.

"I'm not going to lie. I'm not happy right now, but stop worrying about it. You're safe, and that's what counts," Naruto said before he knelt briefly to pick up the small raven before taking off toward Sakura and Lee's home.

After Naoyuki was dropped off Naruto made his way to Hokage tower and was stopped at the doors. "I was on the scene, you can't leave me out! It is too my business!" Naruto squawked, completely outraged that these stupid guards still tried to put up roadblocks, despite his position in the village.

"Let him in!" came Tsunade's voice from the other side of the door.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the Shinobi as he walked through the doors before he was fixed with the gaze of the old woman.

"Why didn't you inform me you brat?" Naruto let out a sigh and he crossed his arms. "You two could have been seriously hurt if the villagers hadn't overheard you and reported it!" she exclaimed.

"Shikamaru sent Nao to inform me about Sasuke, I told him to come straight here to you. He didn't listen and followed after me as soon as I was out of sight. To be honest, it was probably a good thing he showed up, I think there would have been a lot more casualties if his appearance didn't slow the bastard down," Naruto confessed.

"Figures, that child is like a clone of you, always causing trouble," Tsunade mumbled crossing her arms and bent her head down. She waved her hand at some other Shinobi in the room to dismiss them. "It doesn't look good brat, we'll be meeting with the council to discuss it. You're coming in with me, since he does have a son in these walls things are different and his sentence has to be negotiated. I trust you can handle the matter?" She asked.

Naruto blinked before he rested all his weight on one leg, fingers toying with the sleeves of his sweater. "Yeah…I'll handle it, I guess I kind of created this mess," He mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. "It won't go for long though right? I need to see Shikamaru at the hospital at some point today, Naoyuki's probably already trying to find a way to sneak off to see him," He mumbled.

"We're dealing with an S-ranked missing nin, Naruto, and you want it to go quickly? We won't be meeting with the council until later this evening, go see him now. I'll try and get you out of there so you can be home with the brat by the time he has to go to bed. You should go see Sasuke before we meet, I have a feeling he has some questions and you probably owe him at least a couple of answers," she said as she scribbled something down on a document in front of her. "Here, this will grant you entrance to his cell. I won't be announcing his capture until later, so you'll have some peace and quiet in there," she said holding out the document she had just signed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go see him you old woman," Naruto said with an odd scowl on his face as he grabbed the letter before he turned to leave.

* * *

Naruto was nervous as he dropped by Sakura's place, only to find out from Lee that she had taken Naoyuki to the hospital already. He quickly checked in and made his way up to Shikamaru's room and he quietly poked his head around the corner. He had been able to hear Nao chattering away before he had even gotten to the room.

"Hey," He said with a small wave and Naoyuki quickly jumped off the bed and ran to grab his hand.

"Dad! Shikamaru has to stay in all night, you have to take me to go and get him flowers!" he said and Naruto smiled.

"Let me at least talk to him first, kiddo," He said with a frown and he moved to sit down beside the bed, pulling Nao up into his lap. "A whole night seems like a bit much, how're you feeling?" Naruto asked, resting his chin on Nao's shoulder.

"He has a few electrical burns Naruto, he's here for observation, he's lucky he didn't get a concussion!" Sakura said shifting uncomfortably in the hospital chair, peeling an orange; Naruto could only assume it was for Shikamaru.

"I'm fine Naruto," Shikamaru said rolling his eyes. "In fact, you shouldn't have even bothered coming over, you should probably deal with the situation," He said with a bored expression, cradling his casted wrist on his stomach. "Such a pain, I was supposed to visit Kurenai-Sensei today too," he mumbled.

"Like I wouldn't come to see you!" Naruto said with a frown, watching Sakura as she broke the orange into pieces and handed the bowl over to Shikamaru. He could feel Naoyuki fidgeting in his lap and he ran his fingers through the dark locks before pressing a kiss to his temple to try and calm him down. "Besides, I have a few hours before things need to be dealt with," He mumbled.

"I wasn't talking about him and you know it," Shikamaru said popping an orange slice into his mouth before handing one over to Naoyuki who snatched it with a happy laugh, unaware just how important he was in this situation.

Naruto sighed and nodded as he looked over to Sakura and bit his lip. "I hate to do this Sakura, but do you think you could take him to buy flowers?" Naruto asked, reaching for some money to hand to Naoyuki. He didn't want to make Sakura move around so much when she was so close to her due date, but he needed to talk to Shikamaru alone.

"Sure thing Naruto," She said with a smile but Naruto could tell it wasn't reaching her eyes. Chances were that Naoyuki had blabbed about who had attacked them. He would have to talk to her later about it.

"Nao, you should buy him something for his house don't you think, so he can take care of it every day," Naruto grinned as he urged Naoyuki off with Sakura, laughing at the glare he was receiving from Shikamaru.

"I don't have time to be taking care of a plant," Shikamaru mumbled as he shifted in his bed with a groan.

"Your house is boring, I'm doing you a favour," Naruto said crossing his arms with a slight pout on his lips. It only lasted a moment before he grew serious once more. "I really don't know what to do Shika…" He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sounds like I'm going to be the one that influences his sentence…but more than that, I don't know what to do about Nao," he admitted, eyes downcast.

With a heavy sigh Shikamaru shifted around on the bed before he patted the area beside him. "Come on, let's talk this out," Shikamaru said, brown eyes fixed on Naruto as he scuffled his feet around the bed, flopping down against Shikamaru's side.

"I don't know what to tell Nao mostly," He admitted, "He knows who his grandparents are, but I never really told him about Sasuke because I didn't know how to tell him that it wasn't the bastard's fault he wasn't around," he said his fingers reaching to brush against Shikamaru's uninjured hand. "I don't really want to face that bastard either, am I so wrong in wanting to keep Nao away from a missing-nin?" he asked. He had warred within himself over the years at how he left things with Sasuke, but at the end of each internal argument he always agreed he did the right thing.

"No, you're not," Shikamaru started as he laced his fingers between Naruto's, the gentle thumb stroking against the back of his hand always calmed Naruto. "But, assuming Sasuke's allowed to live in the village again," he paused and Naruto figured he was thinking of how to word everything. "Do you remember growing up, not knowing who your parents were? You were happy right? When you found out who they were, weren't you?" he asked.

Naruto frowned and he thought to himself a moment, "I was kind of…pissed at my dad," He mumbled quietly, fisting his hands as he remembered decking the fourth. "But yes, I was happy, it was an indescribable feeling," he admitted.

"How did you feel afterwards? When you found out that there were people who had known all along who you belonged to?" Shikamaru asked next, continuing the small movement of his thumb on Naruto's tanned hand.

"Damn it Shika…of course I was pissed off, but I see what you're saying," He said and he shook his head before he sat up. "Thanks," He smiled, "You always know what to say. I just hope he doesn't hit me. He's better at doing as I do, not as I say," Naruto pouted, trying to settle his damned stomach a little. He leaned over and he pressed his lips to the brunette's and only pulled back when he heard Nao's excited footsteps run into the room.

"I got you this one Shikamaru!" he stopped when he saw them on the bed and frowned. "Stop that, he's hurt dad!" Nao said as he made his way over to the other side and set the potted plant down. "I have one too and I'm going to teach you how to take care of it okay?" Nao said before glaring at his dad again. "Dad, that's your chair right there," He pointed to the one behind him.

Naruto let out a small laugh before he turned to the door as Sakura entered. "Run off again? I'm sorry," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he stood, ready to take back his chair.

"No, I let him. It was only from down the hall," She said with a smile.

"Is he okay going home with you until later? I wish I had more time to find someone to watch him since Shika can't," He said with a frown as he watched Naoyuki climb up onto the bed where he had previously been sitting.

"Oh, don't fuss over me Naruto, you know as well as I do that I'm not an invalid. I went on the same trip to Suna, you know that right?" she said with a frown.

Naruto had the nerve to blush and he shook his head, "Yeah, I guess, but it was against Grandma Tsunade's orders," He muttered before he moved to stand. He briefly wondered why he had let Naoyuki force him to sit down when he was about to leave anyway. "Oi, brat," He said with a smile, leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. "Let's take a step outside okay? I have something important to tell you," he said.

"But dad…I want to stay here," he said as he shifted up onto the hospital chair. "What if Shikamaru gets lonely!" Naruto could see through the act, Nao thought he was going to scold him for intervening in the fight. Naruto only wished it was a simple as that.

"Naoyuki, not now, you can come back afterwards," Naruto tried and relaxed a little when Nao slowly slide off the bed, dragging his feet.

"Come on kiddo," Naruto said, placing an arm on his shoulder as he headed out, waving over his shoulder. He brought Nao up to the roof top and surveyed the sheets fluttering in the wind. He should have taken him to a garden or something, but he hadn't been paying attention to where his feet were bringing him. Strange how he ended up where things had started going so wrong, Naruto took a moment to note that the water tank still looked brand new. "You know, I punched a hole in that tank when I was a kid," Naruto said as he sat down on, leaning against the fencing. "I'm surprised they let me back up here," he smiled, holding his hand out to the young raven.

"Really? How old were you dad?" Nao asked, taking Naruto's hand, but his eyes were on the tank in amazement.

"None of that, I wasn't actually aiming for it. It wasn't a smart thing to do," Naruto said before pulling his son into his arms. He closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply as he tried to calm himself. "Nao, you should have gone and seen Grandma," Naruto started.

"I know! I had a bad feeling and I couldn't let him hurt you! Nana would understand!" Nao tried to pull away but calmed as Naruto began stroking his fingers through his hair.

"Shh, if you had been hurt Nao, how do you think she would have felt? What about aunty Sakura, or me? I would have been very sad if something had happened to you," He murmured and squeezed him a little tighter.

"I'm sorry," Nao said, grabbing around Naruto's neck tightly. "I just got scared," he said shaking his head.

"Shh, it's okay," Naruto murmured, "Next time, I need you to do what I say. I'm supposed to protect you, right?" Naruto smiled finally pulling back to look at the young boy.

"I want to protect you too dad," He said softly before nodding, "I understand," He said quietly.

Naruto was silent for a while, and it wasn't until Nao started fidgeting that he was brought back to the present. He sighed and resting his hands on Naoyuki's shoulders he braced himself for their discussion. "That man that we saw today," He started but was cut off.

"I saw him before dad, when we were in Wind country!" he pointed off to the side, amazingly in the right direction. "That jerk owes me money. I gave him the last of it! I guess he's more than just hungry," He pouted angrily.

"You…tried to feed him?" Naruto said, "You tried to feed him, like your Uncle Chouji?" He shook his head abruptly. "Yes, anyway, that man today, he's not a stranger. That's Sasuke," He stated, and he saw the brief recognition in Naoyuki's eyes.

"You mean, the grumpy guy from the picture? The one who ran away?" He asked in confusion.

"Yes, that's him. His name is Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto stated and he pulled back and rubbed at his neck.

"Uchiha…like me? You– no, he can't be," Nao said, his brow wrinkling in sudden understanding. "He's my…why is he here?" He demanded and he scrubbed at his eyes, face going red with emotion.

"Shh, Nao…yes, he's your father," He murmured softly. "He came back, because he found out about you," Naruto said, trying to remain strong and stable, because he knew Naoyuki wasn't going to be.

"Y-you mean he didn't leave us…he left you?" There were definite tears in his large blue eyes and he took a step back and shook his head. "Why? Why didn't you tell him?" the fact that Sasuke had been brutally attacking Shikamaru and himself seemed to have slipped the boy's mind. "I could have been normal, like the other kids with parents!" He yelled, "You always tell me I have to think about others, but you're just a selfish brat. I hate you!" and with that Nao was off, not giving Naruto any time to explain.

Naruto watched the spot Naoyuki had occupied with wide eyes and he slumped forward, resting his face in his hand. He knew Nao would settle down, he knew the boy would forgive him but it still hurt. Everything hurt, and Naruto didn't know how he was going to fix everyone, least of all himself. He didn't stay up there for long since he had very little time to get everything dealt with. He knew if he waited too long Naoyuki would likely find a way to sneak off and hide. He had a bad habit of running off when he was upset.

When he arrived back in Shikamaru's hospital room he wasn't surprised to see Naoyuki up on the bed with the man. They had grown close the year before; when Naruto and Nao were fighting he always went to Shikamaru for help. Naruto's expression was sad as he looked at the scene, Nao was hiccupping lightly and Sakura's hand was gently petting his back. Shikamaru looked up at Naruto before he patted Nao on the back, "You remember what I said?" Naruto heard Shikamaru say before Nao nodded and slowly climbed off the bed.

He walked over to Naruto not yet daring to look him in the eyes before wrapping his arms around his waist. "I'm sorry dad," He said with another hiccup. "He's not a good guy, I know. I love you I promise," He said and Naruto's brow furrowed.

"I love you too Nao," he said kneeling in front of the boy and wiping his tears. "Do you maybe want to see him later?" He asked quietly, he knew he shouldn't let Nao see Sasuke behind bars, but he had a right to meet him, especially if Sasuke was going to be locked up for a long time.

"No! That bastard tried to hurt you!" Nao said angrily, switching his hold to Naruto's neck this time. "I won't forgive him!" Nao sounded adamant.

Naruto sighed and nodded, "You don't have to Nao, but I do. Grandma needs me to take care of things with her, so I'll be back okay?" He pulled back and brushed Nao's hair out of his face. "You be good for Aunty Sakura, no more pestering her to take you places, and no more swearing!" He smiled up at the pink haired woman briefly. "And maybe later, we'll cut your hair okay, it's all in your face," Naruto said, ruffling the black locks.

"No way dad! I want to grow it out like Shikamaru's," He grinned before he stepped back, "I'll be good," He promised and he made his way back to Sakura.

"It's already hard enough to deal with now," Naruto grumbled but agreed, "Fine, fine, I'll see you all soon," He smiled and waved as he headed toward the prison holding Sasuke.

* * *

It had taken a long time before Naruto was finally allowed out of the council chambers and they had gotten absolutely nothing finished. They wanted to kill Sasuke for treason, they claimed that they need not worry about the Uchiha bloodline now that Naoyuki had been born, and Naruto could only scoff at that idea. If they had any ideas about trying to control Nao's life, Naruto would give them a lot to think about. He loved Konoha, but he wouldn't think twice about relocating if it meant protecting his son. Either way, it had taken all evening, but he managed to talk them out of a death sentence and would work next week on taking away the life sentence.

He walked over to Sakura's and it only took a moment after knocking for a black haired boy to come to the door. "Hey Shin, your mommy home?" Naruto asked the child who stared up at him with large black eyes. He had inherited Lee's skin, eye, and hair colour, but some might argue that he fortunately took after Sakura in everything else.

The boy stared up and nodded before he ran off into the house and before long Sakura made her way to the door. With a heavy sigh she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Naruto watched her make her way to a bench in front of the house and he followed quietly. "He's back," was all she said looking down at her stomach.

"Yeah…still as self centered as ever," Naruto muttered as he folded his hands behind his head. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it, but they aren't going easy on him in spite of the fact that he's a precious Uchiha," Naruto said. "I don't know what I'll do if they won't listen to my reasoning," He muttered.

"I'm not sure he wouldn't deserve it Naruto," Sakura said rubbing her belly gently, blinking when Naruto's hand rested on her stomach as well.

"You don't mean that," Naruto said, smiling as he felt the flutter of the baby kicking. "I know you're mad, but you wouldn't want that. I know a lot of people think he's already abused all his second chances, but how can you give one to someone who won't accept it? He's asking for one now…I'm not saying it's going to be perfect, or that I want him here or around Nao, but he deserves a chance to make things right," Naruto said. "Maybe you should consider it too. We knew him best, and if he's going to ever be a part of Konoha again, he needs people who understand who he is and why he did everything. Would you turn your back on someone who needs your help?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto…No, you know I wouldn't. I know it's not going to be simple, but are you sure that you're going to be okay? I mean, what about Shikamaru?" She asked.

Naruto withdrew his hand from her stomach and he looked up at the sky. "I guess he's just going to have to deal," he shrugged. "As for me? Ah well, I don't really entertain any ideas of trusting him again. It isn't really about what I want, Shikamaru is good for us. He knows what parents are supposed to act like, and despite the fact that the whole thing didn't really spring up out of love or affection, I know he loves Naoyuki." Naruto smiled.

Sakura laughed, "Naoyuki loves him too, I had to drag him away from the hospital," Sakura said.

"I believe every word of that," Naruto sighed. "Yeah, well he looks up to Shikamaru, sometimes I think he likes him better than me," Naruto slumped with a pout. "He's constantly selling me out and getting me in trouble with him," he whined before hearing Sakura laugh at him again.

"You're such a kid. You're Nao's entire world, I'm surprised he lets Shika share you," Sakura said. Naruto stood with a chuckle and he held out a hand to help her up.

"He wasn't happy when he found out we were dating at first, situations change though," Naruto's smile was sunny and bright as they made their way back to Sakura's front door. "I'll spring the bastard out of there eventually. Who knows, if things go okay we might actually get back to being a team," Naruto shrugged. He saw Sakura open her mouth and he waved his hand to silence her, "Let me dream okay?" He said with a grin before opening the door for her.

"I want that too, don't worry Naru, Maybe I should get Shin to help me bake him a cake when he gets out…or maybe something he'd actually eat," She smiled pleasantly before she called for Naoyuki. It took only seconds before he bounded to the front door, his arms firmly around Naruto's waist.

"Can we have curry dad? Aunty Sakura fed me but I'm still hungry and I'm still growing so I need to eat lots so I can grow up tall right?" He said with a grin on his face. Naruto could see the trouble in Naoyuki's eyes and knew instantaneously that he was trying to be brave.

Smiling he nodded, "We can make a little, but I don't want to give you a tummy ache okay? Besides that, I said you had to eat healthy food, not eat lots," He said and Naoyuki bounced out into the street with a happy cheer ignoring everything else. Naruto turned to Sakura with a sheepish smile, "Thanks Sakura, you're a life saver. Let me know if I can ever take Shin," he said with a wave before they departed for home.

Naruto frowned at his kitchen when they had gotten home. He had been hoping for a quick trip to Ichiraku's. He'd been working all day and hadn't eaten since breakfast because of the stupid bastard. He promised Naoyuki though, so they made a little curry and rice together and when they were done he got the young boy ready for bed. He retired shortly after, eyes on the ceiling when he heard footsteps at his door. "Dad?" he heard a quiet voice and he turned with a frown. "Can I sleep with you, it's really quiet tonight," he murmured quietly as he snuck up to the bed.

Naruto's brow furrowed, "Of course you can Nao," he murmured and he held out his arm. Naoyuki wasted no time placing himself into Naruto's arms, his cheek firmly pressed against his chest. "It's okay," he combed his fingers through raven locks, "I'm here and nothing can get you," he assured his son. Nao didn't say anything, he just held tighter and it was a good ten minutes before his breathing evened out. Naruto watched his face quietly before settling down, today had been a tough day.

* * *

After the seals had been placed on Sasuke he was finally allowed out of his binds. Naruto made sure to visit him once a week, and promised he'd be around until they released him. They didn't usually say much, Sasuke might ask a question and Naruto had the choice to answer or withhold information as he pleased.

It was Sasuke's third month when he finally sat down in front of Sasuke. It had become habit for the pair to sit cross legged across from one another whenever Naruto came to visit. "Okay bastard," Naruto said, resting his chin on his hand. "I promised I'd tell you more about the brat," he had promised to do it a while ago, but he found he couldn't until he trusted Sasuke a little more. "Oh, before I forget, Neji's been assigned to you when you get out," It had been Naruto's suggestion, his gentle fist could put Sasuke out of commission should the seals ever fail. Hinata might have been able to do it, but she had her own family to worry about. "So at least you guys could have your telepathic conversations, or whatever the hell you quiet guys do," He waved his hand with a bored expression.

"Our son, moron," was all Sasuke said and Naruto sighed again.

"Right, right," He said. "First off, his birthday is on April 2nd…He's a lot like you. I mean, he's kind of more like me in personality because I raised him by myself, but he's smart. They recommended that he join the academy a couple of years ago, but I said no," Naruto admitted.

"Why would you do that? That doesn't seem like a smart idea, to not teach him focus. Especially if he's anything like you," Sasuke snorted.

"Hey, shut up! My focus is just fine, if you didn't notice I grew just as fast as any of you stupid geniuses did, and I had to work harder for it!" He growled, reaching between the bars to fist Sasuke's shirt. "Besides, I wanted him to be a kid!" he said before he flopped back, shoving Sasuke back just a bit. "I don't want him to worry that he isn't good enough. He's not like us, he doesn't have to learn to take care of himself, and always pay attention to serious things like we did," Naruto said with a sad expression. "Most importantly, I wanted to make sure he actually wanted to become a Shinobi, he decided last year that he wanted admission. He was accepted with few questions," Naruto shrugged.

"I never thought of it like that," Sasuke admitted and Naruto could see the thoughtful expression on the raven's face. He could tell that Sasuke was trying.

"You get used to it, you learn to stop expecting things from your kids. I thought he was going to be a Shinobi too, but he kind of likes artsy things, he likes to spend a lot of time with Sai when he's not off with his girlfriend," he shrugged. "I thought maybe, he might want to do calligraphy, or maybe carve or…well, whatever he wants."

"My dad always expected things from me, and Itachi for that matter," Sasuke argued after a moment. "I don't like the fact that he's spending time with that clone."

"Oi, shut up, you don't even know him. Besides, I should rephrase that. The only things you should expect from your kids are for them to be happy and healthy both physically and mentally. As long as he grows up with a good set of morals, I'll be happy to support him even if he only wants to open up a Ramen stand," Naruto grinned.

"No, please tell me you don't let him eat that garbage," Sasuke paled.

"Che, shut your face, I'm not a child. Besides, he doesn't like it anyway," Naruto mumbled. "You act like I could afford to eat much else. It is glorious stuff I admit it, but sometimes it was all I had," Naruto shrugged and didn't miss another thoughtful expression on Sasuke's face. "I don't really want to tell you too much, I think you should get to know him by yourself."

"He won't even consider meeting me, how am I supposed to get to know him by myself?" Sasuke said and Naruto could feel the room grow a little colder.

"He told me you threatened to stab him with your Katana, I don't ever want to see that vile thing near him," Naruto grew angry after a moment, "The second time you met him you were coming at me with the very same blade. I think you're lucky I'm even granting you the chance to be anywhere near him," Naruto said.

"He mentioned your aversion," Naruto noted that Sasuke actually looked a little ill. "I didn't…I wouldn't have…I didn't know who he was, and I didn't know who I was looking for. I couldn't just ask to see them at the gates. I'm-what I'm trying to say is," Sasuke bent forward and rested his forehead in his hands.

"Sasuke, apologies don't look good on you," Naruto said bluntly. "But you're going to need to learn to say them better than that once you get out of here. You've pissed off a lot of people, and they're nothing like I am."

"I thought you were trying to get between me and whoever I thought they were…I didn't realize you were doing it to protect anyone," he finally finished.

"Yeah, well, if you ever come at me with that thing again, I promise I'll shove it up your ass. That is if there's even any fucking room up there," Naruto mumbled but decided to move on.

"You mentioned he didn't like silence," Sasuke said, sitting back up ignoring the insult.

Naruto was quiet and he looked down to his lap, "No, he's scared of it actually," Naruto started and he felt smaller than he had in a long time. "I usually leave him with Iruka when I'm on missions, since they are both at the Academy all day anyhow, but if he's not available I leave him with Shikamaru or Sakura. Anyway, I ended up on a mission about a year and a half ago over in Kumogakure. I was supposed to be gone for two weeks, but half way through I received a message saying that someone had abducted Naoyuki. I didn't even stop to tell anyone where I was going, luckily Neji had been with me when I got the message, but I just left. I tried to make it back home as fast as I could and when I got there Shika and Karin were already trying to figure out where he had been taken."

"Karin?" Sasuke had a frown on his face.

"Yeah, the same one," Naruto shrugged and Sasuke remained silent, knowing that wasn't the point of the story. "Turns out they heard he was the Hokage's kid," Naruto laughed sadly, "Not really true or anything, but it happened. I was so worried, I thought I felt fucking useless at the Valley of the End, but that was nothing in comparison to how I felt not knowing where my baby was, or how I was going to get him back," Naruto's voice kept cracking as he spoke, but somehow his eyes remained dry. "They wanted money at first, they kept sending us messages that they were hurting him, and the day we finally found him was the day they had threatened to start cutting off limbs if we didn't cooperate by midnight," Naruto had dragged his knees up to his chest and hid his face, his eyes hadn't stayed dry for long. "We had been on scouting missions for days, and it was that day that Karin had finally managed to zero in on his Chakra. Shikamaru and Karin were in the same unit, I was off with Hinata and Kiba. They sent us a message, but decided to infiltrate the building before we received it, it was a good thing they did," he said.

"What happened?" Sasuke sounded horrified.

"Well…you already know he has the Sharingan, but you weren't what activated them. He told me he had tried to escape that very day when they were trying to hurt him. When they realized that they had an Uchiha they tried to steal his eyes. That was when Shikamaru got there. He had managed to capture his captors, a group of rogue nins with his Shadow imitation just before they did anything to him…he told me, he told me that night that he didn't want to be alone, so I let him sleep in my room with me. He said that it was always dead silent before they came in to hurt him. He still needs to listen to my heartbeat some nights just to get to sleep," He said, his voice growing quieter and more muffled.

Sasuke was quiet the entire time, but as soon as he had finished telling him what had happened to Naoyuki, Naruto felt a hand on his wrists and he was yanked towards the bars. Sasuke's arms were wrapped around him tightly and Naruto broke and let out a sob. It was several moments, but his arms reached up and clutched at the back of Sasuke's shirt, and noted briefly that Sasuke was trembling just as hard as he was.

Naruto didn't know how long they had stayed that way before Naruto finally quieted down a little bit and wiped at his eyes. "I'm so pathetic," He mumbled. "I couldn't save him anymore than I could save you," he mumbled quietly. At least he had stopped crying.

"Konoha would have been in ruins if not for you. They don't know it, but you saved them…you're their reprieve," Sasuke said after taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Doesn't matter," He murmured softly. "You don't know what failure is until you're useless to save your child…I hope you don't have to know what that feels like," he said softly before he sat up a little straighter. Swallowing, he let Sasuke know the last thing Nao that was an absolute need to know, "He has a few scars, one on his temple, a few on his back, arms and one on his leg. He doesn't like to talk about them, and he really hates when you focus on the one on his temple, but you probably won't get to see it for a while," Naruto explained, seeing as Nao didn't like to have his bangs cut. "I'm certain that's why Nao wanted to become a Shinobi," Naruto mused, "He hasn't said so, but I think he wants to learn to defend himself, more than I had taught him at least," Naruto hated that no matter how hard he had tried to keep Nao from growing up too fast, in a way he was already a little more seasoned than most children his age in Konoha.

"Naruto…when they let me, and I promise I'll find a way to convince them, I won't let anything hurt our son," Sasuke said, Naruto didn't look up at him yet. "We won't let anything hurt him, I promise."

Naruto looked up and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay you bastard," he agreed, not liking the emotions he was starting to feel toward Sasuke.

The silence grew around them, and Naruto thought they were done talking and was thinking about leaving. He figured he needed to pick Nao up soon but Sasuke started talking. "Is that why Nara seems to have influence on him?" Sasuke asked. Naruto should have figured he'd remember that it was Shikamaru who saved him.

"Yeah…something like that. He really hated Shikamaru prior, he doesn't really like me dividing my attention between anyone other than him," Naruto said with a sheepish laugh. "Seems more like the other way around these days," he remembered Nao all but kicking him off the hospital bed a few weeks prior.

Naruto didn't miss Sasuke tensing up. "Why would he have to share his time with you in the first place?" Sasuke asked in a cold voice.

Naruto bit his inner lip and looked around Sasuke's cell for a while. "Yeah well, we've kind of been dating on and off for a few years…nothing really serious. Well not until Nao finally started to like him," He said.

"So what, you're going to become a breeding ground for little Nara's then?" came Sasuke's icy tone, "Are there any half siblings of Nao's that I should know about Naruto? I didn't realize you had such poor taste that you'd pick someone so weak."

It was Naruto's turn to tense and he stared wide eyed at Sasuke before his entire body started shaking in anger. He reached forward and grabbed Sasuke's shirt, pulling him into the bars without mercy. "What was that you asshole? What, just because I birthed you a kid you think that's all I'm capable of you fucking prick? You're lucky you're all fucking sealed up or I'd break your pretty face, it would be dishonourable to pick on such a weak little duck like you who couldn't walk on water if he tried. Do you think it was easy? Do you think I'd subject myself to it again, men aren't meant to bare children, and we're not built for it! It wasn't easy trying to figure out what the fuck to do as a parent when you never had any yourself. I was just starting to fucking think that you were worth my time, that maybe you were worth protecting. Guess what? You owe Shikamaru your son's life you ungrateful piece of shit!" Naruto didn't realize when his voice had started to waver. He didn't notice just like he hadn't noticed how loud his voice had gotten, or how the door had opened. Shikamaru, who had been waiting outside had his arms around Naruto's waist and was urging him from the room. Naruto could tell the brunette was trying to talk him down, but he didn't hear a single word.

"You die in here for all I care you asshole! I wish you had just stayed a fucking ghost because we don't need you!" His eyes were focused only on Sasuke's shocked expression until he was out of the room; the bastard obviously hadn't been prepared for a complete eruption. He panted heavily and after a few long moments of being so blindingly angry all the tension washed away from his limbs and he started shaking a second time.

"What the hell happened in there?" Shikamaru said, he had obviously told the two guards outside the door that he could handle the situation.

"He thinks I'm just a fucking factory for making children that's what!" Naruto said, "Fucking bastard thinks he owns me or something, like I wasn't supposed to find someone who cares about me when he was gone," his voice was growing quieter and he soon found himself wrapped in Shikamaru's arms. The embrace was awkward, but it was comforting. "He doesn't fucking understand that nothing's been easy, he doesn't know that I can't –" Naruto was about to continue before Shikamaru cut him off.

"Calm down Naruto and then go and pick up Naoyuki from the academy, okay?" Shikamaru murmured. "I'll catch up with you guys at your place. You'll be fine, try not to cry okay? I'll make him understand," he continued. Naruto could feel Shikamaru's hands fall down his shoulders to his hands; their fingers flicked just enough to brush against one another in a calming gesture before Naruto nodded.

"Okay…I'll see you there," he murmured softly, still shaking in hurt and anger, but it was fading.

Shikamaru nodded and Naruto vaguely heard him re-entering Sasuke's cell while he made his way to the Academy. He hated that without even knowing anything about Naruto's life, he knew exactly how to wound him with the deepest possible blow. He didn't like how Sasuke was starting to unravel everything he built, in his life and in his heart.

**TBC...**

Oh man, well there you have it. I guess Sasuke's going to have to work pretty hard if he has any ideas of having a complete family. Think he's up for it the challenge?

Please leave a review if you have the time, it means a lot to me. Thank you to those that have done so already!

Koric


	4. Chapter 3

**Warnings:** Language, Shonen Ai, Angst, possible spoilers until chapter 608

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anyone who appears in Naruto.

Chapter 3

When Shikamaru had finally managed to drag Naruto away, Sasuke was sitting flat on his ass with his hand pressed to his cheek. Maybe it was because he had been sitting in here for three months, or it was because his Chakra was sealed, but he didn't remember Naruto being quite so strong. He knew that he was going to have a bar shaped bruise against his jaw, but he was fairly certain he deserved it. He was very aware of the rift that was between them, and all he had been thinking of were ways to close the distance. He sat there, feeling like he had ripped it even wider because of his arrogant jealousy.

"Damn it!" He growled and he slammed his fist on the ground before he leaned against the bars, staring down at his feet. The thought that Naruto could have found someone else never entered his mind. He knew he had tried to give the blonde idiot up, but he had been an enigma, one he couldn't pull himself away from. He always thought that if he ever changed his mind that Naruto would be waiting for him. They understood each other; the fact that they almost never spoke yet could interact was proof of it in Sasuke's mind. The Raven figured he was being left there to wallow in his own stupidity when he heard the door open and his head shot up. An audible growl was heard when he set eyes on Shikamaru who strolled in, hands stuffed in his pocket like their meeting was no big deal.

"You're looking pretty beat up for someone who's so superior to us mortals," Shikamaru said as he stopped in front of Sasuke, just out of his reach.

"I don't see how it's any of your business Nara," Sasuke said as he watched the other man through his bangs.

There was a distinct snort and Shikamaru's head tipped to the left, "You both are so hard to handle," Shikamaru said, closing his eyes and shrugging. "I don't really know why he comes here so often, but I'm the one who has to deal with the aftermath of you pissing him off and I'd really rather not have him go through this every week. I'd say that's my business, right?" Shikamaru's eyes were pinned firmly on Sasuke's. "When you get out of here, and do whatever you need to, to make the council and village love you again. You can go along the country side and find any number of people to birth your spawn, but Naoyuki is and will forever be Naruto's only child," he stated seriously.

Sasuke's eyes widened by a mere fraction as he stared at the brunette, his pose was casual as ever but there was an expression of seriousness that he had never seen on his age mate's face. He had the nerve to feel a little ill as he thought of the words he had said. During his stay in this prison, and his weekly visits with the blonde he had found it absolutely impossible to turn off his feelings. He knew he could speak poison, and was often vindictive but despite the fact that he had appropriated Naruto's previous accusation about Sasuke having children of his own with someone else, he never should have repeated it. He had often classified himself as more mature than anyone he'd grown up with, he was secretly starting to doubt that. "I didn't…"

"Of course you didn't," Shikamaru snorted the lazy expression taking over once more as he scratched the inside of his ear. "He doesn't wear it on his sleeve like he does everything else, and you don't take care to look at anyone but yourself so it's pretty well impossible for you to have known. But, now you do and you'll take care to keep your mouth shut because he's finally accepted it and moved on. Despite what he thinks, he shouldn't feel responsible for your baggage too," Shikamaru said before he turned on his heel and made for the door.

Sasuke was only quiet with inner reflection for a moment before he looked up at Shikamaru's retreating back. "This isn't over," he said clearly, "Call it a friendly warning, or whatever you please yourself to call it," Sasuke said. He knew it would take time to make things okay, especially after he acted like a spoiled brat, but he'd figure something out.

Shikamaru only paused for a moment, "Says you, maybe. The only opinion I'm really interested in is Naruto's, and I doubt you'll be hearing from him until you get out," he said, merely stating his observation before the door was shut behind him.

Sasuke didn't see Naruto for another three months.

* * *

When Naruto finally did show back up he was quiet as he walked in and sat down, cross-legged in the spot he always sat in. He leaned back on his hand and his eyes were half lidded as he watched Sasuke freeze where he had been pacing just to watch him sit down. Sasuke was reluctant to take his position and opted instead to stand where he would normally sit.

"I'm really tired of hearing your apologies Sasuke," Naruto said before Sasuke could even open his mouth. "You should just stop saying and doing stupid shit since you don't like to say sorry in the first place. Just seems like common sense to me," he muttered, closing his eyes, a know it all expression on his face. Sasuke knew then, that he was forgiven but it was fragile.

Sasuke's lip twitched and he sat down, observing the blonde. "I never pinned you for someone who knew what common sense looked like, moron," he said, brow raised.

"Che, clearly know more about it than you do, bastard," Sasuke decided it was a good sign that Naruto had returned to calling him names.

Sasuke watched Naruto for a long while, keeping perfectly silent he observed the blonde. He could see the slight twitch of his lip, and the fact that his expression was serious instead of defiant let Sasuke know that things weren't completely okay. He had been forgiven, but there was something else. "Why did you come back?" Sasuke asked finally, "I'm not in here much longer, so why not just stick it out. I know you're not here by choice," he said though it wasn't an observation he liked.

Naruto flinched and he hunched forward a little before looking behind him. "I don't like being out there today. Shikamaru's out on a mission, I get too many visitors at home, and even though it's a holiday, Naoyuki is in class until noon. I'll have to go out with him later, but even so I don't belong out there," Naruto shrugged.

"Holiday? But its fall," The moment the words left his lips, Sasuke knew what was wrong. He didn't have any way of tracking the date in his cell, but he knew roughly how long he had been here and when he had been obtained. He turned his eyes back to Naruto and deduced that the blonde was doing everything he could not to meet his gaze. "It's your birthday," He stated in a factual tone. The theory was confirmed when Naruto flinched again.

"Yeah it is," Naruto said before sitting straight and rubbed the back of his head. "Birthdays, who likes getting older, right? Pain in the ass really," He let out a laugh and his grin was so large and obnoxious even a stranger would see through it.

"They still treat you poorly," there was a hint of anger in Sasuke's voice he couldn't conceal. Sasuke hated this village. The corrupt councilmembers may have been allowed to have a disgustingly peaceful death, and those who had been directly involved in the Uchiha massacre may be dead but it didn't change how he felt. The anger was so severe that it almost made him tremble and it was constant that the only thing keeping him sane was the prospect of meeting his son. This bit of information only made him hate it more.

Naruto's eyes snapped up and he finally met Sasuke's eyes, "No! That's not what I meant. I mean, maybe some, but…" he let out a heavy breath and looked back down to his lap. "This is my home Sasuke. I may have been hated, and may have grown up without anyone to call my own, but I wouldn't be me or have the people I do if I was elsewhere. Things are different now, I'm not what they hate anymore. Not since Akatsuki, and not since the war. Today though, it's not really the day I was born and it never will be," He said and his hand had absentmindedly moved to his stomach. "It's not really a good feeling being out in the festivals when you know that they're celebrating the defeat of something so personal to you. Kurama…he's a part of me in a way, even more so since he decided to stop being an asshole and I don't like going out and taking part in the celebration of the defeat of a friend," he shrugged. He was quiet a moment and let out a chuckle as if he was in his own little world, it took another moment before he shook his head. "Mn, guess he doesn't like being called names like you," Naruto smiled, "Way to take it like a champ, Bastard."

Sasuke snorted and shook his head. He thought of a few ways to get Naruto back but he was distracted by what Naruto said prior to the backhanded compliment. He had never thought of it that way before, Konoha hadn't really taken anything away from Naruto. It might have been years late but it had provided Naruto with many people who cared about him. Unlike Sasuke, Konoha had stripped everything from him. It had taken until Sasuke had no more to give and he found it annoyingly ironic that ten years after he had forsaken it, Konoha was giving back to him once more in the form of Naruto and his son. He breathed in deeply before he broke from his thoughts and met Naruto's eyes. He had grown serious again. "Happy Birthday Naruto," He said longing to touch Naruto, even just a hand on his shoulder but Sasuke wasn't sure it would be appropriate even if he could reach the blonde.

Naruto seemed surprised to hear the words from him and after a moment of a stupefied expression on his face the blonde smiled. It was small, but it was the first genuine smile Sasuke had seen on his face in a while. "Thanks," He said and even after the moment had passed, Sasuke smugly noted that the remnants of that small smile remained on Naruto's lips for a long time.

They had fallen into silence afterward, it wasn't entirely uncommon for them to just enjoy silent company and Sasuke figured he would let Naruto hide out with him in peace, since he really seemed to need it. It was a couple of hours before Sasuke tipped his head and leaning back on one hand he couldn't help but bring up a certain redhead he knew. "Why is Karin here of all places?" Sasuke asked. He didn't really harbour any feelings for the woman, she was merely a subordinate who proved temporarily useful, but given her personality he couldn't figure out why she was here.

"Why is Karin anything? I don't understand that woman," Naruto crossed his arms with a frown on his face that reminded Sasuke of when they were 12. "She says one thing and does another all the damn time, oh! Right, I don't know, I went and saw her when she was all locked up, you know after…" Naruto looked off to the side and his arms fell limp in his lap. "I mean I went to see her, you know, for no particular reason, certainly not to figure out where you might have gone after the war. Not that it would have mattered, she kept yelling at me that she didn't want to talk about a heartless bastard like you," Naruto smirked. "I guess I do kind of like her, met with her for a while and kind of started talking about Tsunade…er, the Fifth and Sakura and she seemed interested in learning from the old woman. Not that it was easy to get them to cooperate with one another, let me tell you that you've never seen so many headstrong women in one room all at once. Walking into that room with all of those healers was like a suicide mission. She kind of kept mentioning that she was just going to leave when she got free…but when she was released she I dunno, she just stuck around. If you ask her about it, she'd probably just tell you to shut up and mind your business," that frown was back. "Why is Karin?" he asked again and scratched the back of his head. "You know, one day you're going to have to learn that trying to kill people doesn't make them like you," He said like it wasn't already common knowledge. "She got all upset when news of your capture was broadcasted, think she's still pissed at you, she might want to hit you when she sees you," he warned.

"She's probably going to have to get in line," Sasuke muttered, but he was mildly amused at the way Naruto's mind tended to wander.

"Yeah, I think I owe you a busted cheekbone or two," Naruto said. "Speaking of getting out of here, you're free next week. Well, free as you can get. Nao agreed to see you," he finally said. The words drew Sasuke's gaze immediately.

"He will?" Sasuke tried to keep the hope from his voice, but he didn't feel he was very successful.

"Yeah, I don't think it's out of wanting to see you though, but you may as well take what you can get," he offered.

"We'll be alright," Sasuke said but winced inwardly when he heard a snort from the other side of the bars.

"We're going to be nothing, Nao might get over it eventually though. I don't really plan on letting him pout and get his way about the whole situation," Naruto said.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sasuke defended himself.

"I'm not as stupid as you might think, and I think you meant exactly that," Naruto muttered as he stretched. "Anyway, I have to go pick the brat up. I guess I can't avoid the world forever, he's going to want to take part in everything and buy ever trinket he sees for me," Naruto smirked as he stood. "See you in a week, bastard," Naruto waved over his shoulder and was gone again.

Despite how often Naruto had come to see him over the past six months, Sasuke still wasn't used to seeing Naruto's retreating back.

* * *

"You sure you're okay with this Naoyuki?" Naruto asked as he knelt in front of his son, running his fingers through the shaggy locks. The boy pushed at his dad's wrist and nodded.

"Like I'm going to let you go see him alone," Nao said, looping his arms around his dad's neck in a comforting gesture which brought a smile to Naruto's face.

"This isn't really about me, brat," Naruto said but the smile could be heard on his voice as he returned the embrace. It astounded him that Naoyuki was so perceptive, he knew the only reason Nao was doing this was because Naruto was apprehensive about seeing Sasuke without any barriers between them. He couldn't bring himself to turn the small comfort away. "I don't know what's going to happen Nao, but I know he wants to get to know you very much. Uncle Neji will be there at all times when you're with him, and if you ever need me to tag along, just ask okay?" He pressed his lips to the boy's temple before he pulled back, trying to compose himself a little better.

Nao shuffled in front of him and rubbing the back of his head he nodded, "Really? Out of everybody in Konoha, I have to spend time with Uncle Neji? He's so boring," Nao muttered but flinched when he heard his dad click his tongue.

"None of that, your Uncle Neji isn't boring, and he's very respectable," Naruto said "Even though I've had to save his ass countless times," the look on Nao's face suggested that he didn't believe the lie any more than Naruto. He laughed though, at his dad's pout, "Yeah, well I'm fully capable of saving him," he muttered.

"I know dad," Nao said and he grabbed his dad's hand before they headed out to finally greet Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke was surprised when he saw his welcoming party. It wasn't that he was upset that the only two who stood outside were Naruto and their son; he just never expected that he would get out of this without that damnable Nara tagging along. It was bad enough that the Hyuuga stood beside him, casually escorting him down the steps, silent as Sasuke was.

Sasuke could vaguely see the figure of his son standing behind the blonde, and as he drew closer, he didn't notice how his breathing seemed to have ceased. He kept his eyes on the blonde and finally he stopped just before him, trying to refrain from trying to peek around him. "Moron," he murmured on the tail of a loud exhale and he cursed inwardly.

"That's the first thing you're going to say, jerk?" he saw Naruto roll his eyes dramatically and very briefly noted Naruto refraining from using poor language. "Nao, come on, he's not going to bite. I'm pretty sure you could outsmart him anyway," Naruto said as he twisted to look behind him.

"I'll come out when I'm ready," was the gruff reply Sasuke heard and he couldn't help but be a little disappointed, especially when Naruto didn't force the subject.

"I'll be waiting," Sasuke said, keeping trying to keep his voice calm and even. His eyes trailed back up to Naruto's face, getting to see him in the sunlight for the very first time. Sasuke noted that he was still the taller of the two, but not by much. The moron had also filled out a little more, and despite the green vest he sported. Despite the fact that it had been seven years, Naruto was still himself in every way that mattered. His eyes were still inviting even in the anger that was present every time Sasuke was around. His foolishness was still there even though it was tinted with a definite maturity and he still seemed as accepting as ever. His flesh was still a soft honey and his hair was still the same golden shade as it had been. He didn't realize he had reached up to run his fingers through the silky locks until two hands pushed firmly at his stomach, forcing him to step back.

"That's more than close enough," Nao said with a firm glare. Sasuke was so shocked that he didn't realize the dazed expression Naruto wore before Naoyuki had interrupted them.

Sasuke looked down to the young boy and first noted that he was a little darker than he remembered and his hair was also longer. He crouched down to Naoyuki's level and decided to ignore his moment of weakness. "Hello," He murmured. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm your father—"

"No, you're Sasuke, and why should I care? You didn't care about giving me your name when I was some kid in wind country," the boy said leaning back against Naruto's legs. When Naruto's hands settled on the boy's shoulders he looked up, "Can we go find Shikamaru now? He promised to take me for lunch last week and I want to cash in," he asked.

"Naoyuki, you realize that today is important right? You made a commitment to do this, do you want to go back on your word?" Naruto said with a frown.

"No…but this guy doesn't care about me anyway," he mumbled.

"That's not true," Sasuke said. "I care about you and your dad very much," He said, his voice was quiet and he silently cursed Hyuuga for lingering in the background during this private moment.

"Then why did you attack him if you care so much? Dad cares about me so he'd never hurt me," He said leaning far enough into Naruto that it upset his balance and he had to step back. "Besides, you don't even know me, how can you say that you like me?" Nao said defiantly.

"I know enough," Sasuke said, trying to bypass the comment about Naruto. It was not one of his finer moments, he could admit that, but not externally. "I know that you're kind and very generous and always look for the best in people, just like Na—your dad," he said, pleased when he saw a moment of hesitation in the boy's cornflower gaze.

"Dad, are we going to just stand here all day?" Naoyuki muttered, looking back up at Naruto after his long silent deliberation of Sasuke's words.

"No, I suppose not. Come on, Jerk, there's a few people down the way waiting to see you again. You might want to prepare your gut am I right Neji?" Naruto smirk mirrored Neji's but neither said any more than that. He turned and he walked down the path.

The entire walk back to the main village Sasuke was intensely quiet and his eyes never once left Naruto's back. Nao had insisted a piggy back ride and the two were currently chattering between one another. Sasuke knew that it would be difficult to find his place in their family dynamic but it wasn't until that point staring at the two, he realised he was as much of an outsider as he could possibly manage. He found himself not knowing how to proceed from this point. Sasuke had always been a loner but he had never felt lonely, not since the wounds of his family's slaughter were still fresh. He didn't like it.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. We're treating you to a fresh meal when we get into town," Naruto said, pausing to turn and look at Sasuke for a moment. "I figured you'd probably be tired of whatever the hell they were feeding you. Just something small with Kakashi and Sakura, so you better play nice," he said.

Sasuke frowned, "Why would I want to do that? I'd rather just get settled in whatever shack that's been picked out for me," he muttered. It was more the fact that his former teammates were going to be there that bothered him.

"You seem to think that I'm the only one you left behind, jerk," Naruto muttered as he turned to keep walking, shifting Nao on his back a little.

"If you hurt Aunty Sakura or the old man, I'll never forgive you," came Nao, who had an icy glare pinned on Sasuke.

"Fine," he muttered, his arms crossing casually. "I won't hurt your precious friends," He agreed. He had decided to treat the unknown feeling that ran through him as anger instead of guilt. Naruto had been the only one that mattered, with the addition of Naoyuki the same could be said now.

"They're your friends too, whether you like it or not," Naruto muttered. "Sakura will probably have her baby with her so Lee might show up if he isn't busy with his Genin team," he finished.

"Great, there's nothing I love more than spending time with tons of people," Sasuke said.

"Shut up, I'm sure you'll be able to suffer through one meal acting like a decent person," Naruto said.

"Is this why you wouldn't let me go for lunch with Shikamaru?" Nao chimed in with a frown and Sasuke swore he saw their son reach up and pinch Naruto's cheek while he spoke.

"Che, not the only reason brat, and don't forget it," Naruto said batting the boy's hand away.

"Look there they are, dad!" Nao said, a grin spreading across his cheeks as he pointed. "Go faster!" he urged, but when Naruto didn't move he began to squirm until he was let down and he took off toward Sakura and Kakashi.

Naruto let out a soft chuckle as he watched their son run off and he shook his head. "You probably wouldn't believe it by looking at him, but he's top in his class," he said. As soon as the words were out of Naruto's mouth Naoyuki had launched an attack on Kakashi, though he was clearly unmatched he was incredibly skilled for his age.

"Good, I was afraid you'd rubbed off on him too much, Moron," Sasuke said as he watched the clash between his son and former teacher.

"You're not getting out of this, Bastard, so quit insulting me," Naruto muttered before a sunny grin replaced his scowl. "Hey guys," He said as he trotted forward, he leaned over Sakura's arms and started cooing gently to a small bundle in her arms. "Hello beautiful," Naruto said with a smile and held out his hands. Sakura simply laughed and handed the baby over.

Sakura's eye turned to Sasuke when he and Neji finally caught up. "Hello Neji," She said before looking back to Sasuke, "Sasuke," she said with a nod.

"Sakura" He was somewhat relieved when he realized that they were having just as hard a time as he was. "I'm surprised you're on time," Sasuke said then to Kakashi who had Naoyuki in a simple hold.

"Actually, you're the one who's late," he said with a calculating stare before he put the young boy down. "Maybe next time kiddo," he said.

Sasuke watched Naruto as he handled the infant. The blonde seemed absolutely infatuated and an unidentified feeling went through Sasuke. He found himself wondering what Naoyuki had looked like as a baby, as a toddler and he sucked in a deep breath. "What's her name?" He asked. Even though the words sounded forced it seemed to melt some of the tension.

Sakura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and with blush and a smile she looked toward Naruto as well. "We named her Ayaka. She's five months old," she said.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted and he swore he heard Naruto making plans to steal the baby. "It suits her," He said and tried to ignore the smile it brought to Sakura's face. It certainly did well to conceal her true intentions. It was only a second later that Sasuke's head snapped to the side as pain exploded in his jaw.

"There, that feels better," She said with a smile and shook her hand off before turning to Naruto. "Don't you dare Naruto, she's mine. Come to mommy," She said as she gathered the child to her chest seeming to completely forget about Sasuke.

"Hurts more than you'd think, right?" Naruto said, leaning over to mutter the words in his ear. Sasuke's hand was held to his face and he nodded dumbly. "Just be glad that she was holding back," Naruto said with a laugh as he placed a hand on Sasuke's back before starting to walk. "I'm starving, let's eat!"

"Now it's starting to feel normal again," Kakashi said, hand on Naoyuki's shoulder and he steered the child after the blonde.

"What, you're not going to hit me too?" Sasuke said eyes narrowing.

Kakashi was quiet and he urged Naoyuki to catch up to his dad. "I'd say you're going through enough torture," He said, eyes not leaving Naruto and Naoyuki. "I think that a fist to the gut is nothing in comparison to what you must be feeling watching those two. I wouldn't want the consequences of my actions to end like yours have," that was all Kakashi said before he awkwardly patted Sasuke on the shoulder and continued after the others.

Sasuke grunted and crossing his fingers he started walking, hearing Neji's footsteps start only a second after him. He thought on Kakashi's words, cursing the man for being as observant as he remembered.

He wasn't at all surprised when they pulled up to Ichiraku's, but he was surprised that it was the only thing that remained exactly as he remembered. "Oi, old man! Six bowls on me," Naruto grinned. Sasuke swore he saw tension fade from Kakashi's limbs.

"About time, I'm broke," His former teacher said as he took a seat.

"Sit down Neji!" Naruto said cheerfully and he took a seat with Naoyuki climbing up on the one next to him. Sasuke took this chance to situate himself on the other side of the young boy.

"Oh, you're—" Sasuke looked up as the old man spoke and noticed with some discomfort that the man was staring at him. "Sasuke, it's been a long time," he was more shocked when he saw the genuine smile on the man's face before he turned to start working on their orders as everyone relayed their preferences. They rest of the group fell into a comfortable chatter, even Neji had managed to offer his own input from time to time. He noticed that Naoyuki had remained rather quiet though.

He leaned down after finishing a mouthful, "I hear that you're first in your class, you must work pretty hard," Sasuke said.

Naoyuki was pushing his food around and didn't even look up when Sasuke started speaking. "It's not too hard if you're dedicated, things get easier," he shrugged.

"I was first in our classes when we were at the Academy too," Sasuke said, trying to find some middle ground they could talk about.

"Oh, wow, that sounds as interesting as a class with Grandpa Iruka," Nao said taking a large bite. "Now you can't do anything you learned there," he said and was immediately elbowed by Naruto. "I mean, I'm sorry," He said with a frown, ducking his head seemingly more ashamed that he was heard, than for being caught saying it.

"Apology accepted," Sasuke said, but there was a firm frown on his face.

Kakashi made to stand a short while later, "Nice as this was, I have to get back to m—"

"Just go," Naruto said waving his hand, "Nobody wants to know what you're going to do to Iruka-Sensei," the blonde looked mortified and Sakura let out another laugh.

"I didn't mean it like that," Kakashi deadpanned.

"If you're off to meet Iruka-Sensei I guess that means it's time for me to go pick Shin up? See you everyone" Sakura said and she gathered her things and fell into step with Kakashi.

"Ah, guess we have to show you to your mansion, eh Sasuke?" Naruto said as he stretched, leaving payment on the table. "Thanks old man!" Naruto said with a sunny grin.

"Can't I go with Aunty Sakura?" Nao said as he was ushered out of the restaurant. "I want to see Shin too, I had to miss out on going to school today. I didn't even get to see my friends," He pouted.

"No, I don't think so. You have to clean up the house when we get home and then we have to go drop off some gifts, or did you forget?" Naruto said as they made their way through town.

"No, I didn't forget," Naoyuki said quietly and reached to grab Naruto's hand and remained quiet until Nara showed up. "Shikamaru!" He exclaimed and he bounded over. "Can you take me home while dad's busy? Please? I need to finish my chores so dad and I can go out before dark," he pleaded, Sasuke knew he was trying to escape his presence.

Shikamaru's brow raised and he looked down at the energetic boy and slumped a little. "Well, I was on my way home to take care of my troublesome plant, but I guess I could do that. Did your dad say it's okay?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Naruto said with a smile and when he caught up to the two he leaned forward. He seemed to hesitate just a moment, glancing back at Sasuke before he followed through, catching Shikamaru's lips in a brief kiss. "I won't be too long, but it'd be nice if the house did get done before we head out," he said.

Sasuke watched the interaction and his hands balled into fists at his sides. "I thought I was being taken to my new accommodations, or are your orders less important than idle chit chat?"

"I'm fairly sure that we were going to talk for ten seconds more, but whatever you jerk. Sorry Shika, I'll see you in a bit okay?" he smiled and they parted ways. "Alright, this way your highness," Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked up a hidden set of step just off the street and lead Sasuke and Neji inside a small apartment.

"This reminds me if your old apartment," Sasuke said quietly when he was inside. It was all one room, except for the bathroom and the entryway.

"Hm? I guess," Naruto scratched the back of his head and he moved over to a small closet and slid the door open. "It's a bit more traditional than my old place though, I figured you might appreciate that.

"How kind," Sasuke said, eyebrow raised.

"Che, appreciate it you asshole. That door over there leads to the bathroom, it connects to Neji's half of the apartment. I trust you won't bother him too much on account of the fact that you've dragged him from his own home for a year," Naruto said, brow raised.

"It's not like I asked for this Moron, I think we'll be fine," Sasuke moved to a small closet and opened it up. There were simple clothes inside, majority of it was dark but there were a few white shirts inside. A lot of the shirts were wide at the neck.

"Don't worry about me, Naruto," Neji chimed in, his pale eyes didn't leave Sasuke though. "My house is just a place to sleep between missions, it will be no different here than there," he offered.

"If you say so, who knows maybe when this is all over you can work on finding a home," Naruto said absent mindedly.

"Did you do this?" Sasuke chimed in a moment later, still looking through the closet.

"Sakura helped. I don't know what you want to wear, but it seems like you hate anything with a closed neck. If you don't like them, I guess you'll have to wait it out until you can work. Since I have to pay for this place I don't have much money to be throwing at you," Naruto said.

"Why didn't you just rent out the houses at the compound? You would have been more comfortable than just selling them. You should have consulted someone if you couldn't think that plan up," Sasuke said with a frown as he pulled out a set of clothes to replace the ones he had. He figured life might be a little easier if he didn't look like that Uchiha brat that ran away and looked more like a normal citizen.

"Oi, what do you know? I have rented a few units out, but I don't need to live a life of luxury. I accounted enough for Nao and me to be comfortable, and have a little to put away for emergencies. I wouldn't call this an emergency, but I'm glad I have enough tucked away to swing this place until you can do things on your own," Naruto was pouting. "Which reminds me, here's enough for a month's supply of groceries for the bastard," He pulled out a coin purse in the shape of a frog, it was ratty but Naruto didn't seem to mind. He handed the cash to Neji, "I'll give enough every month until the council is tired of him being useless, and lets him work."

"I doubt you thought all this up by yourself," was all Sasuke said and he moved toward the bathroom.

"Oh, shut up. If you're just going to be a bastard I'm leaving. I have to get home and help clean up anyway. Later Neji," Naruto saluted the pale eyed man with a grin before his body began to fade into thin air. Once his image had dissipated there was a gentle breeze throughout the apartment and Sasuke couldn't feel the blonde's chakra anymore.

Sasuke sighed and he locked himself in the bathroom, simply to change and when he came out Neji was leaning against the wall, presumably waiting to head out and shop for groceries.

They were quiet a moment as Sasuke moved a few things around the apartment. He spent the time rearranging to ponder just where Naruto and Naoyuki were going today, but came up with nothing. When he decided everything was in better order he spoke up, "How long have they been together?" he asked.

Neji was quiet and met Sasuke's gaze in his own time, "I assume you mean Naruto and Shikamaru. It would depend on how you observed their situation. Some might say they've been together for three years," he said.

"Who would say that?" Sasuke frowned. Now that Naruto was gone he seemed to have a better handle on his tone of voice and hadn't let any of his anger seep out.

"Anyone who doesn't know them," Neji said absent mindedly as he pushed away from the wall. "Let's go to the market. Correction, I'll escort you there and you can buy whatever you need," Neji said.

"And what would you say?" Sasuke asked, not acknowledging Neji's request to leave.

"I would say that if you had returned at any point up until a year ago, you would be living back in your old house," He said.

"Hn," came Sasuke's monosyllabic answer. He looked toward the window and cursed his non-existent luck. "So, it was just stress relief?"

"We're leaving, now," Neji said and he moved to the front door. "Make no mistake, they are in fact my friends, and I don't gossip," he said before gesturing to the door.

Sasuke grunted and he moved toward the door, "Uchiha don't gossip," He muttered under his breath. If Neji wasn't in charge of keeping Sasuke in line and evaluating his mental stability he might have struck him. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Sasuke had settled into a quiet lifestyle over the next couple of weeks. He was a little on edge, especially since it was so much noisier than his preferred lifestyle. He had spent most of his time during his travels sleeping under the stars. He only stopped to interact with others when he needed to take a job in order to feed himself. Sasuke was nothing if not durable though, he wouldn't let this neighborhood be his downfall. He had tons of experience with gossip and having it focused on him, he simply needed to put it out of his mind that people no longer worshipped him. On some level, he was grateful for the shift. He and Neji had formed some odd comfortable existence. His Byakugan was more than capable of watching him through the walls so he spent much of his time alone.

Time spent with Naruto and his son was often short, but Naruto had made a point of coming by more than once a week. Naoyuki never said anything to Sasuke without a prompt from Naruto, even if Sasuke asked him a question. It was doing wonders for exercising his patience, but he knew better than to expect miracles. It was Naoyuki's tendency to bolt the second he and Naruto had found something to talk about, Sasuke no longer had any doubts that Naoyuki was ranked at the top of his class with the way he could escape them.

Neji had an uncharacteristic smirk on his usually emotionless face when he stepped through the door to his own apartment. When Sasuke opened the door He immediately heard a click and turned tilted his head to the side just in time to miss a few cardboard shuriken. His eyelids fluttered a moment and he looked over his shoulder to see the flimsy paper on the ground, a corner bent on each one that had been launched. He had a feeling that there were only two people in Konoha who would rig his apartment, and he had a very good idea as to who it was. Naoyuki's ability to run away from him was exactly why he was so surprised to find his apartment with Nao's fingerprints all over it.

He quietly moved into the apartment just before he exited the hall he saw a distinct shine on the ground and his lips pursed, "You know, butter on the floor could seriously injure someone who isn't prepared to step on it," He muttered and he stepped over the slick. He hadn't been expecting an answer. He remained completely serious as he made his way cautiously through his small apartment. He knew why Neji had that smirk, his blasted Byakugan had seen the mechanism set up and he said nothing. The pale eyed man was getting so severely on his nerves that he was sure he'd take a swing at him the second he was released from his sentence. He walked into his kitchenette and his brow rose, "I see you helped yourself to a beverage. Hasn't your dad taught you to put your dish...es, oh who am I kidding, your dad's a slob," He continued hoping it would prompt a reaction. He walked the cup to the sink and his brow raised, his first order of business was to remove the elastic hugging the alternate faucet head, second was washing the two cups on the counter. "You and your friend may as well come out from under the bed," he tried again.

"Shin, I told you that you were breathing too loud!" Naoyuki said and he wiggled his way out from under the bed, another dark haired boy following him. If Sasuke recalled correctly, he belonged to Sakura and Rock Lee.

"You might try and find a better place to hide, I thought you were top in your class Naoyuki, you can do better," Sasuke said, not even turning around to look at them.

"What would you know? Maybe I wanted to see the sorry look on your face when it made friends with the floor!" Nao said with a frown and the sound of him dusting off his clothes could be heard.

Sasuke sighed and shook his head; he knew these pranks weren't Nao's way of reaching out to him. He walked over to the fridge and his brow quirked. He could see the hint of a clear piece of string around the handle and he let out a sigh and thought of how he could turn this around. He placed his hand on the fridge and he could practically feel the boys' eyes burning into his back. He sucked in a deep breath and he pulled the fridge door open and was greeted with a tub of yogurt down the front of his shirt.

He grimaced but when he heard the boys erupt in laughter behind him he decided it was worth it.

"Did you see that Naoyuki? He went through the entire house and didn't think the fridge was set up too!" Shin was absolutely giddy but when Sasuke turned around Shin's black eyes widened considerably. "Uh, my mom's going to be mad if I don't get home soon," he said in response to Sasuke's intimidating stare and he quickly ran toward the window.

"Shin you traitor!" Naoyuki said and tried to make a run for it but Sasuke's hand closed around the back of his shirt.

"Where's your dad?" Sasuke asked with a frown and he walked Nao over to the closet so he could grab a towel to clean himself off with one hand. "I don't remember having yogurt," He mumbled.

"He's on a mission," Nao said squirming a little to get free until Sasuke's hand closed around his shoulder. "Grandpa Iruka let me out to train," he said with a grunt. "Let me go Sasuke!" He said his anger rising.

"I hardly call this training," Sasuke said and he let go but didn't pull back until he was sure Naoyuki wasn't going to bolt. He pulled his shirt off and grabbed a clean one after dabbing at his chest.

"I was practicing setting up traps, of course that's training!" Nao said with a frown. He was quiet for a moment, "You knew that the fridge was rigged," he said, it wasn't a question.

Sasuke sighed and pushing his hair out of his face he looked over to the fridge. "You caught me," He said. He had hoped that maybe submitting to one of the pranks might improve their relationship, even just a little. "Now, are you going to clean this up? Or am I going to have to force Neji to go all the way across town so I can have a word with Iruka-Sensei?" Sasuke said, feeling unusually comfortable in his authority as a parent, even when Naoyuki hardly accepted him.

"You wouldn't," Naoyuki said with a frown. "You aren't responsible for me, you can't do anything," he said defiantly.

"Naoyuki, you might not like me, but if you show up at my house without an escort then I'm afraid I am very much responsible for you. Besides, you wouldn't want your aunt Sakura to know what you've been getting up to with Shin do you?" he asked as he straightened out the collar on his new shirt.

The young boy's eyes widened dramatically, and his once proud stance transformed into something meek. It was only for a moment before a fierce glare was on his face, "You win this time, Sasuke," Naoyuki said and he stalked to the closet and grabbed a towel with the intent to clean not only the yogurt from the floor, but the butter as well. His second task was to dismantle all the mechanisms he had formed with simple everyday items.

Sasuke watched as the boy went to work, his arms crossed as he observed his son. Though there was the expected immaturity of a six year old. Naoyuki was currently working very efficiently and taking everything apart with care that he had ever witnessed in Naruto at that age, or any age really. There was a small smirk on his face and he decided to approach the boy, "Did you think up the construction of these all by yourself?" He asked.

"This one, if you really must know," Naoyuki muttered with his head buried in the refrigerator. "Dad and I made one similar to the one at the door when he was trying to get Nana back for a low ranked mission. He made the design, he asked me if I wanted to help," He said pulling on one piece of the contraption he had fused too tightly. "It didn't work so well, Nana knows everything about everyone," He explained, not realizing how much he was talking to Sasuke.

"I have a hard time believing that your dad came up with that," Sasuke said skeptically only to be fixed with another heated glare from the boy. It only lasted a second before his eyes widened and he fell backwards when the part finally gave way. Sasuke reached forward before Naoyuki could hit the floor, "I've got you," He said calmly, steadying the young boy.

"I could have caught myself," Naoyuki said shaking Sasuke's hands off. "Go away, you're distracting me," He huffed as he grabbed the towel and headed for the slick of butter.

"Having a hard time concentrating on cleaning a mess on the floor sounds much more like your dad," Sasuke said with a small smirk. Naoyuki didn't quite react the same way Naruto did, he was more reserved but it would appear that the boy had inherited some of that fire.

"You sure seem to know a lot for someone who ran away," Naoyuki said as he wiped at the mess he made earlier, a little rougher than he should have. "You should just stick to being a jerk because you don't know anything about my dad," he said before he stood and stalked off toward the last contraption.

Sasuke had to practice great restraint not to flinch at the comment and followed after Naoyuki anyhow. "I know that he wouldn't want you talking about someone you don't know," Sasuke said remaining calm as he watched Naoyuki begin pulling apart the last trap.

"Well, I can't meet all expectations," Naoyuki mumbled with a slight grunt as he tried to yank two cogs apart.

Sasuke's brow raised and he let out a breath before he stepped forward and began working on the other half of the trap. "How about we go out for sweet ice chips? Then you can tell me how much of a jerk I am after you've gotten to know me a little better," Sasuke offered. His voice had been well calculated, but beneath the practiced calm he was frightened that Nao would flat out refuse the offer.

Naoyuki stared at him for a long time, thin brow rose, "I don't know what your game is, Sasuke, but if it gives me permission to call you a jerk then I'm in," He said pulling off the last piece and pushing it aside. "Now?" he asked with a gleam in his eye.

"Now," He confirmed and pushed the door out, completely unsurprised to see Neji leaning against the rail just outside their apartments. "Thanks for the warning," Sasuke said and didn't miss the silent smirk on Neji's face as he followed the two into the heart of the village.

The trip was silent, even when Naruto forced Naoyuki to interact with him the boy rarely said anything. After grabbing their small cup of sweet ice they had found a stone wall to sit on. They sat in silence for some time before Naoyuki finally spoke up. "Did you only do this because you owed me money?" he asked, staring down at the red stained ice chips.

Sasuke blinked and actually smiled at the thought. "Naoyuki, despite your dislike of me, you're my son. I hope you can believe that I only want to spend time with you. No debts, no ulterior motives," Sasuke said.

Naoyuki nodded and he pushed the ice around the small cup he had been given and didn't look up when he spoke again. "Dad says you were a really talented Shinobi. He doesn't tell me much, but he always manages to somehow say that. I know you can't access much chakra so how good are you at Taijutsu?"

Sasuke raised a brow, "I'm confident I could give your taijutsu instructor a run for their money," he said, very careful how he worded his sentence so he wouldn't offend the young boy.

"You think so?" he said, his demeanour picking up. "Do you think maybe you could spar with me a little bit? I'd ask dad, but Nana sent him on another mission," he said.

Sasuke's lip quirked slightly and he stood, offering a hand out to Naoyuki, "I know a great place, follow me," He said as he helped his son to his feet. It wasn't long before Sasuke had led them to the team 7 training grounds, and was pleased to see it uninhabited. He let out a heavy breath; it was the first time visiting this place since he had left. He was quickly pulled from his thoughts when he heard a small laugh; he looked to Naoyuki who was climbing onto the very log Naruto had been tied to.

"This is where dad brings all his genin teams," Naoyuki said as he stood on the log and jumped, ironically to the one Sasuke had sat beside eating his lunch.

"Genin teams?" Sasuke was surprised. Though he had spent little time with Naruto, he had seen enough and experienced enough to know that Naruto had far surpassed his genin days. He was well suited to take a team, but it didn't mean Sasuke had made that connection.

"Yeah, well, team now. He finally passed his first team when I was four," Naoyuki said, practicing a simple form, keeping his balance perfectly before he cleanly back flipped to the ground. "They're all Chunin now, so instead he takes me here when he's not out on missions."

Sasuke walked over to Naoyuki, vaguely aware of Hyuuga settling against a tree in the distance. He placed his hand on the log, and his lip quirked at the memory. "I suppose he finds this place important, I guess I do too," he said, admitting more to himself than anyone else. "Shall we get started?" He asked.

Nao's lip parted as he watched Sasuke but he nodded. "Yeah, let's go," he smiled. It was the first genuine smile Sasuke had seen from the boy and he knew it was just as blindingly bright as Naruto's.

He nodded and he moved back into the open field and when he turned to look at Naoyuki he stretched his arms. "Show me what you know and I'll take the instruction from there, okay? But first," he took his stance and he held out two fingers to the raven opposite him. He didn't miss Naoyuki's widened eyes before the boy mirrored the pose.

When they began to officially spar, Sasuke was happy to see just how far Naoyuki had progressed throughout his life. Naruto had said the boy was talented and intelligent despite his childish personality. It wasn't that he had doubted the blonde, but he was glad to experience it himself. Though Naoyuki was far from his level, but Sasuke immediately knew that he may be more advanced than Sasuke himself was at this age.

"You're leaving yourself open here," Sasuke said as he twisted, his fingers jabbing the boy's ribs gently and immediately saw the change in Naoyuki's demeanor at the criticism. The gaps in the boy's skill grew smaller and the power in his attacks increased all without losing control. Sasuke smiled, "Better," he encouraged.

They continued until Naoyuki was out of breath and Sasuke had firmly pointed out areas that needed strengthening. Then something happened that surprised them both. Naoyuki's hand struck out at Sasuke's side and they both paused just before it struck. "You left yourself open," Naoyuki said, eyes wide.

Sasuke's expression matched Naoyuki's and the only explanations he could think of were that he had spent too much time day dreaming about what this sparring match could lead to in terms of his family, or he relied far too much on his Sharingan and without it he was useless. He shook his head and smiled and he held his hands up. "I concede defeat," Sasuke said before he stood straight and held his fingers out.

"But you made contact far more than I did," Naoyuki said with a frown, but when he wasn't met with any real answer he finally reached out and linked their fingers.

"There, we should probably get you back to Iruka-Sensei," Sasuke said as their fingers fell away.

"I guess," Naoyuki said and his stance relaxed considerably. "Hey Sasuke? Do you think that maybe…we could do this again sometime?" He asked, hands shoved in his pockets.

"I'm free any time Naoyuki," Sasuke said, watching the boy's expression as he started slowly walking back toward the core village. "Can I ask you a question? Why now, and why me?" Sasuke said, wondering if he'd regret asking the question, but much to his delight there was no outburst.

"Dad's usually helps me with things I can't do by myself, but Nana keeps sending him out on missions and Uncle Lee has his own Genin team to take care of. Uncle Neji has to babysit you and Unc—"

"Hyuuga doesn't baby sit me," Sasuke said with a frown.

"Really? Because my babysitters don't pay as much attention to me as Uncle Neji does to you," Naoyuki said as he looked over his shoulder and waved at the pale eyed man who hesitantly mirrored the gesture.

"I'm not entirely convinced that your babysitters should be letting you run around as much as you do, especially if you're going to vandalize my apartment," Sasuke said.

"No! You promised you weren't going to say anything!" Naoyuki said and slumped forward.

"You think I won't keep my promise?" Sasuke regretted that the moment he said it.

"I don't really know enough about you to make that judgement, Sasuke," Naoyuki said. "But, I guess I could give you the, uh, the—"

"Benefit of the doubt?"

"Yeah, that," Naoyuki said. "Just this once, and for the sparring promise," he said pointing behind them in the direction of the training grounds.

"Why didn't you ask Nara?" Sasuke asked, wondering if he was an emotional masochist.

"Shikamaru? We don't do shinobi stuff. He takes me to lunch and teaches me things like shogi. He's trying to teach dad too, but it's not going so well. Plus he's not that great at Taijutsu," he shrugged.

Sasuke blinked and a moment later he let out a chuckle at the thought of Naruto playing Shogi. "No, I don't imagine it would go well. So, wait, I'm good enough?" he refocused, ignoring the heat spreading up his neck.

"Yeah, well…if Dad couldn't make you come back you'd have to be really good at everything." Naoyuki said, "Well, most things. I doubt you could beat him in speed or seals," Nao said with a smile.

"Really? Speed maybe, he's always been hyperactive," Sasuke muttered only loud enough for himself to hear. "But seals?"

"You don't know? Dad's been studying what the Fourth left behind, especially seal work. What did you even talk about when he visited you?" Naoyuki's expression was completely puzzled.

"What we talked about? Not a lot, in fact he yelled at me most of the time, or refused to talk to me the rest of the time," Sasuke said. It was mostly the truth.

"Sounds like dad when he's angry," Nao said as they drew closer to Iruka's house.

"Yeah, it does," Sasuke said with a breath as he saw Iruka step outside of the house. "Are you looking for this?" he said, his hand landing on Naoyuki's shoulder before he awkwardly pulled it away when Nao tensed.

"Oh, Sasuke," Iruka smiled timidly and he looked down to Naoyuki. "I was very surprised to see Shin earlier and not see you with him," Iruka said as he knelt down and affectionately wiped a little dirt off of Naoyuki's face.

"Uh, yeah. We—"

"I ran into them on the street and invited Nao for something to eat. I'm not sure Shin wanted to impose," Sasuke said, not moving any closer to the other two because of Iruka's discomfort. "Come find me if you want any help okay?" He said and when Naoyuki nodded and waved Sasuke turned with a private smile and headed back to his apartment with Neji in tow.

* * *

Sasuke hadn't seen Naruto for a few weeks, according to a few people things with a neighboring village were tense and Naruto had taken his former genin team to try and smooth things over. Naoyuki on the other hand, started showing up at his apartment twice a week. Whenever Sasuke was out of the house he'd setup other traps, trying to get the better of him. Sasuke chose to think of it as Naoyuki training than trying to take out any frustration on him.

At the end of four weeks since Naruto had left, Sasuke found himself returning to his apartment from a brief run around the training grounds when the blonde showed up with Naoyuki settled on his back. "Hey Sasuke," He said as he came to a gradual stop, hoisting a tired looking Naoyuki up a little higher. "Do you think I could borrow him for a second Neji?" he asked.

Neji stared at Naruto for a moment and crossed his arms, an elegant brow lifting. "Naruto, I'm not sure," he said simply.

"Don't make me order it Neji," Naruto pouted, "you should take a break every once in a while anyway," he said.

"You can't order me to do anything yet Naruto," Neji pointed out.

"Neji!" he whined, "Can you just? Please?"

"Fine, 15 minutes and then I come looking for him," Neji said, smirking before turning and heading to his temporary apartment.

"Thanks Neji!" Naruto said and he tipped his head. "Come on jerk," Naruto smirked and he led Sasuke a few streets down and sat on a wall. Naoyuki lazily slid off of Naruto's shoulders and sat down beside his dad. It almost seemed the second that he leaned against Naruto's shoulder that his breathing had evened out completely.

"Did he have a long day?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I got back this morning and he insisted we head to the training grounds to show me what he learned before I could even brief the old woman that I was back. Good thing I have a team to do that sort of thing for me," He grinned.

"He mentioned you had a genin team," Sasuke said softly, eyes moving to Naruto studying his features. He took note of a fading bruise just on his cheek bone and he reached forward to brush his thumb against it. "Are you alright?"

"Quit it, we ran into some bandits. It's almost gone," Naruto flushed as he batted his hand away. "Yeah, they're on their own now, Tsunade sends us out from time to time but they're great, even without me," He smiled softly.

"What's this about ordering Hyuuga around?" Sasuke asked, not missing the odd interaction between the two.

"What? Nothing really," Naruto shrugged.

"Dad's g'nna be the Rokudaime," came a very tired response from Naoyuki who seemed to fall right back into sleep as soon as the words left his mouth. Naruto's eyes widened and he flushed deeper than when Sasuke had touched his face.

"Oh, yeah…that was the reason," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle.

"You did it," Sasuke said with mild surprise. "I'm truly happy for you," he managed a small smile.

"Sasuke, stooooop," Naruto whined flushing even deeper. "I'm not Hokage, I wasn't ready when the old woman asked me," he said.

"But soon, right?" Sasuke smirked. "Naoyuki told me you were studying the fourth's teachings, it seems fitting if you're going to be the Rokudaime," Sasuke mused.

"Or because he's my dad, but whatever," Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke stared at him for a minute in genuine shock, "How did I miss that?"

"Too busy being a self-absorbed bastard? I told you he was already. Anyway, I only have a few minutes. Nao told me what you did for him, and I guess I just wanted to say that I'm okay with it," he murmured. He looked down at the sleeping boy and he brushed his hair out of his face.

"You mean, training with him?" Sasuke asked and he leaned against the wall, carefully observing the two very aware of the calm that came over him.

"Yeah, I know what I said before about the whole, you know? The Sharingan thing, but I'll be away a lot until this alliance is sealed, and if it means Naoyuki spending time with you. What I'm trying to say is thank you, I really appreciate it. He's really happy about it, even if he might not seem like it, he wouldn't stop talking about it," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"Really?" Sasuke was a little shocked. They didn't talk too much when they trained, and when they did it wasn't like father and child. "I think I should be the one thanking you, Naruto, You didn't have to give me any time with him," He said all of a sudden hyper aware that he had just used Naruto's name.

Naruto blinked before he grinned and stood, careful to pick the boy up. "Oh, geez, a thank you. That's new," Naruto said with a small laugh as he cradled the boy to his front. "Alright, I should get you to your place before I head home to put him to bed," he said, petting the back of Naoyuki's head.

"That's a smart idea, that's new too," Sasuke smirked.

"Shut up, bastard," Naruto rolled his eyes as they walked lazily back to Sasuke's apartment. "Hey, Sasuke? Do you maybe want to have dinner with us sometime? At our place? I mean, Shikamaru, Iruka and Kakashi will probably be there but I know Naoyuki would like it if you'd join us," he said sounding nervous.

Sasuke tensed and he thought it over with a frown. If it had just been their former teachers he would have said yes with no hesitations. "When?" he asked gruffly at the thought of spending time with Nara.

"Uh, Last weekend of the month is the next one. It's usually on Saturday," he murmured sheepishly. "I think it would be really good for you and Naoyuki," he admitted as he stopped in front of Sasuke's building.

"I'll think about it okay? Thanks, again for letting me spend time with him, Naruto," Sasuke said before hesitantly reaching up to run his fingers through the boy's hair. He wondered if the blonde knew what it meant to him.

"Yeah, no problem. I better get this one to bed. Let me know," Naruto said before he turned and headed home leaving Sasuke to deal with Neji who had just stepped out to find them.

"You didn't spy on us did you?" Sasuke said, it wasn't a real question. Had Neji done so, he wouldn't be out here looking for them.

"I don't spy on private moments, Uchiha. Besides, I trust Naruto," he said with a shrug as he tipped his head toward the house.

Sasuke made his way up the stairs and when he moved to open the door he looked up at the other man. "He just invited me to dinner with a bunch of people," Sasuke said. They weren't really friends, but Sasuke was pleased with the fact that Neji and he approached things in the same manner. He wouldn't admit that Neji was far more stable than he was, and had a better outlook.

"Strange," Neji said as he leaned on the railings and looked up at the dimming sky. "You know he thinks of Kakashi and Iruka as father figures? Naruto only invites family to their monthly dinners. He doesn't even invite Sakura or Sai," Neji said absent mindedly.

Sasuke blinked and he felt an odd flutter in his stomach. "Is that so?" He asked and began to contemplate the implications.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Neji's brow rose before he turned and entered his apartment, done with the conversation.

Sasuke looked up at the sky when he was alone. Family? If this dinner was that important, Sasuke was willing to swallow his pride and attend. There was a rift between him and his family, but he was pleased that he could finally see their silhouettes on the other side of the divide.

**TBC…**

I absolutely should not be writing an essay right now…actually I should be sleeping since I have class in a few hours. Things should start picking up next chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, my fingers went off script and I had to rearrange some things to accommodate in future chapters before I could even start writing this chapter…oops.

I hope you enjoyed these bitty bonding points. Please leave a review if you have the time, they do make me very happy~

Koric


	5. Chapter 4

**Warnings:** Alternating POV, Language, Shonen ai, angst, crack pairings, possible spoilers until chapter 610

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the world of Naruto or anyone who appears in Naruto.

Chapter 4

"Dad! You have to come here!" Naoyuki's voice boomed across the house and Naruto couldn't help but cringe.

"It's going to have to wait, I'm making breakfast!" he said with a frown. He had been getting up this early for years. First for missions, and second to get Nao ready to go to the academy but he still hadn't adjusted.

"It's safe to flush bandages down the toilet right?" Nao called back and Naruto groaned, forcibly removing the food from the burner.

"That brat knows that's not okay," Naruto muttered, seeing through Naoyuki's plan in an instant. He knew the boy was just trying to get him down the hall. "What is it Nao, it better be important," Naruto said as he turned the corner only to see Nao standing in front of the mirror with a giant grin on his face.

"I did it!" He said while hopping in place. "I grew my hair out long enough that it fits in a tie!" Naoyuki was absolutely giddy as he pointed to his hair.

Naruto stared at the young boy for some time before he let out a laugh and he knelt down. "Of course, and you're looking as handsome as ever. Here, let me even it out for you a bit," Naruto said as he pulled he hair tie out, quickly recognizing it as one of Shikamaru's.

"This is great! It was getting in my eyes whenever we'd go through techniques at school," Naoyuki said, only fidgeting a little as Naruto secured the boy's hair back.

"Right, there we are, let me see," Naruto said and Naoyuki turned around after blowing his bangs out of his face. Naruto knew just how much Naoyuki admired Shikamaru, but his hair wasn't manageable. Even pulled back it was for a lack of a better word, messy. His bangs weren't long enough to fit into the tie and fell shaggily around his face. Naruto was somewhat glad for that, one Shikamaru around was plenty enough. "Perfect," Naruto smiled and pressed a quick kiss to the top of Nao's head.

"Dad, stop it," Nao said, turning red. "I have to go change," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sasuke said he'd train me after school, is it okay if I go straight to the training grounds after school?"

"Okay, okay, you can go. Am I free to make breakfast now?" Naruto asked but only received silence as an answer. He smiled to himself though as he made his way back to the kitchen to finish what he had started.

Naoyuki came running into the kitchen a few moments later and sat at the table with a grin on his face, clearly elated at his discovery a few moments prior. "Hey, Dad?"

"Hmmm?" Naruto plated the simple omelette on top of rice and placed it in front of the boy before turning to his own.

"Do you think that you could come and watch me after? When I spar with Sasuke?" Naoyuki asked, his sharp blue eyes watching Naruto with a familiar calculating gaze.

Naruto paused when he heard the question, and after his hesitation he sat down, exhaling the breath he held in. "Nao, I don't," He paused and looked down at his plate. "That might not be a good idea. Sasuke and I fight a lot," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He'd made sure that Nao and Sasuke spent time together, but when he was there he always made sure it was impersonal.

"Oh, okay," Nao said as he began to eat, seeming a little let down.

"How long has it been since you've been training with the, uh, with Sasuke?" Naruto grimaced as he kept himself from cursing before he began to eat his food.

"Hmm, maybe six weeks?" Nao said as he finished his breakfast and was fast to cart it over to the sink.

"I'll be there. I might be a little late though, okay? It'll be nice seeing you taking out your training on someone else for a change," Naruto said with a grin, the sad look Nao had on his face while eating his dinner wasn't something Naruto could have said no to.

"Really?" Nao asked with a smile.

"Yes, now come on we should get you to class," Naruto said, chuckling as Naoyuki ran off toward the door before Naruto could say anything more.

* * *

Naruto sat out on the back deck of his house, or what was Sasuke's childhood home. He looked out at the back garden, what once was traditional was now full of colour. Ever since Naoyuki had learned about plants at school, he had become obsessed with planting and nurturing anything he could. Naruto hadn't meant to change the place so drastically when he had moved in; in fact he hadn't planned on residing in this house at all. When he thought of renting it off to some stranger or maybe leaving it alone and waiting for Sasuke to come back it didn't seem right. It had been explained to him, just what had gone on with the Uchiha clan when he had given birth to the clan's heir. He didn't want to think of it that way, instead he chose to believe that a family lived here, and it wasn't right to leave a family home abandoned to gather dust.

He found himself nervous though, as his legs swung back and forth from where they rested over the edge of the deck. He never imagined that Sasuke would agree to have dinner with them. He had secretly hoped, but never expected. He was worried that the raven would be angry with him, for how much he had changed. Naruto couldn't do it though, he couldn't live with the walls as they were the night Sasuke's family had died. He had this overwhelming need to replace that night with something positive, something that Naruto's own family could add on to whatever positive memories could gleaned from the building.

"What's wrong?" a familiar voice sounded, but Naruto didn't answer or turn around. Shikamaru's distinct food pattern sounded before the brunette joined him, sitting on the edge. "You don't usually sulk around here. You're usually troublesome enough to make me go and find you when you're upset," Shikamaru complained while leaning back on one hand.

"I'm not sulking," Naruto huffed as he pushed Shikamaru's shoulder before hunching forward. "I don't sulk for that matter! And while we're on this subject, if I'm such a pain in the ass, why do you stick around?" he said defensively.

His only response for a long time was a snort. "Because I want to," Shikamaru shrugged. "So are you going to tell me, or make me wait here all day until you do? Because, I'm okay with that," he said, staring up at the clouds.

"You say I'm troublesome," Naruto muttered. "I invited Sasuke over for dinner, you know, because he and Nao seem to be getting along so well. I don't really want to be that petty person who keeps them apart because he was a bastard to me. I'm mostly worried he's going to hate me for what I did to his house," Naruto admitted.

"Sounds like a reasonable thing to be worried about. But if anyone knows you, they should probably expect that you'd change it. I'm sure he knows what he's getting into," Shikamaru said.

"Maybe I should change some things back?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"Since when do you bend to anyone's will but your own?" Shikamaru said with a lazy expression.

"You're no help," Naruto said with a huff as he moved to stand. Shikamaru seemed to conveniently forget that Sasuke was the only person who had ever made his personal will and determination crumble within seconds. "Everyone's gathering for lunch soon, we should go," Naruto said as he stared down at the man.

"Naruto," Shikamaru looked less than impressed when he turned his attention away from the clouds. "I just sat down, now you want me to stand up and walk all the way into town?"

"Yup!" Naruto said with a grin, "I'm going to go grab the snacks Nao and I made and I'm going. You can stay here by yourself if you want," Naruto said. He paused just before walking through the traditional doors. He placed his hand on the frame for a moment and swore he could smell freshly rained earth. With a frown he shook his head and stepped inside, missing Shikamaru's evaluating eyes on his back.

Naruto made his way to the kitchen and gathered everything up. He looked over his shoulder to see if Shikamaru was around, but didn't see or hear him and he sighed. He didn't know exactly what he did, but Shikamaru was acting strange. "I'm leaving!" he called out over his shoulder and he moved to slip his sandals on. No sooner was he standing straight than Naruto found Shikamaru's arms around his torso.

"Without me?" Shikamaru said in a low tone, catching Naruto's lips when the blonde turned his head.

"Stop that," Naruto frowned, "I'm going to be late and I'll be damned if I'm turning into Kakashi before I die," He muttered, but left out the door with a stupid smile on his face.

On their way toward the meeting place Naruto heard a few whispers as soon as he walked by. He glanced around, trying to figure out why he felt like all the attention was on him. It took a while, but he was finally able to hear something.

"I hear he lets that Uchiha criminal babysit his son, how irresponsible. I wouldn't let my baby anywhere near him."

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek and didn't realize he was gravitating toward Shikamaru until they bumped shoulders. He sighed heavily and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "Sorry," he mumbled before he began to reflect internally on his decision to include Sasuke in Naoyuki's life.

"You shouldn't pay attention to them," Shikamaru said, not bothering to look away from the street, but his hand did travel down to grasp Naruto's. His thumb brushed along the back of the blonde's hand, bringing him a small sense of comfort.

"I don't get it, why does everyone conveniently forget that he is a war hero? As much as I love all the attention, I promise you that we'd all be dead if we hadn't teamed up," Naruto said. His voice was low but it was evidently full of anger.

"You thought long and hard over your decision, Naruto. They have no way of knowing that, but you know, and everyone you care about knows and respects that. Let them think what they will," Shikamaru said.

Naruto bit his lip this time and shook his head, "I guess you're right, like usual," Naruto muttered. Inside he knew it wasn't as easy as that, these were the villagers that hated him for no reason. Sasuke might not have always made the right decisions, but he had decided to save Naruto's home and all the lives that were now childishly gossiping about him.

They arrived at the park just as people were sitting down at the picnic tables and Naruto let out a sigh. "You're lucky we aren't late," He muttered under his breath as he pushed the small container of biscuits into Shikamaru's hand.

"Good to see you make it blondie," came Kiba's familiar voice

"Lucky I decided to, the thought of your dog breath almost deterred me," Naruto said with a grin.

"Looks like you learned a new word, your brat teach you that?"

"Oi, my brat has a name!" Naruto growled and it was moments before the two were wrestling, and Shikamaru just sighed and decided to ignore them for now.

"Kiba," Hinata's soft voice sounded off to the side and Kiba immediately stopped what he was doing.

"Um, yes?" Kiba asked still trying to dislodge the blonde.

"You might knock things off the table," She said, not removing her eyes from the two.

"Yeah, Naruto! How could you be so inconsiderate," Kiba said pushing Naruto back before stalking over to his side of the table to sit down.

"Never thought you'd be a coward, dog face," Naruto said with a grin as he started to help set things up.

"I'm respectful, there's a difference. Not that I'd expect you to understand," Kiba said.

"Oh, is that what we're calling cowardice? You're right, I wouldn't know anything about that," Naruto puffed out his chest before they both started laughing.

"I don't understand you guys," Ino said, resting all her weight on one leg as she observed the two and there was a mumble between everyone else in agreement.

"Hey, where's Sakura?" Naruto said with a frown as he looked around and saw everyone, even Shino and Chouji had showed up.

"She's probably busy with her baby," Hinata said with a soft smile as she finally sat down beside Kiba and started gathering things on a plate to eat.

"Oh, right. Hinata, try one of those. I promise they're good," Naruto said with a grin as he sat down and lazily slumped against Shikamaru as he started to peel a grape to eat.

"Is that Sasuke?" Ino said as she leaned over the table. When Naruto lifted his head, grape half sticking out of his mouth he noticed that it was in fact Sasuke. "Sasuke! Come eat with us!" Ino called loudly, waving her hand like Sasuke wouldn't see that they were the only ones gathered at the tables.

Sasuke paused and stared at them for a long time and Naruto let out a sigh, "Come on, you can't stay a bastard forever!" Naruto said, beckoning the man over. He knew it would do one of two things, it would either convince Sasuke that he really didn't want to be there, or it would get him to sit his ass down. Naruto was surprised when it was the latter. The raven walked over to the table and with an awkward cough, he sat down and Neji settled down beside him easily immersing himself into the chatter.

They spent the next few hours just sitting around relaxing, Naruto almost felt bad for Sasuke as he was barraged with questions throughout the day. He figured Sasuke was familiar with unwanted attention though.

* * *

"You're a real asshole, I was kind of hoping I would never see you again," Sasuke looked up from where he had been fussing over some sort of cheese bread and saw a familiar redhead. His lip twitched and when he turned back around he had rolled his eyes.

"Karin, about time you showed up!" Naruto called across the table and there was an agreement that sounded around the table that Sasuke found strange and almost wrong.

"Karin," Sasuke said simply as he broke off another piece. This certainly wasn't his idea of a good time. Sitting here and being bombarded with greetings and personal questions from people he didn't really know beyond his 12 years in Konoha. He didn't particularly enjoy watching Naruto across the table, fawning all over that damned Nara. The last thing he needed was Karin's droning voice in his ear. "I'm surprised to see you here," He said.

"I'm surprised to see you back. You seemed to go on and on about how much you hated this place," she said, Sasuke could tell she was trying to cause a scene. He refused to give in, he was good at dealing with Karin though and he assumed she still had the same personality.

"I'm surprised you're so concerned with what I want to do with my life. The last I heard, you hated me. So why are you here of all places?" Sasuke said calmly, for once he was glad everyone had kept talking at their monstrous levels.

"He really gets to you, doesn't he?" She said.

Sasuke knew then that Karin had noticed the stolen glances at Naruto he had been taking. He cursed under his breath and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "He charmed you? I'm not surprised, you're easily swayed," he said. He watched Naruto lean over the table with a dumb grin on his face. He could isolate the sound of his laughter amongst the others. Yes, Naruto did have an odd way of climbing under your skin.

"I hear you can't use Chakra, it'd be a shame if my hand slipped. I still owe you for trying to get that pink haired woman to kill me," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Not having Chakra probably wouldn't make a difference to the outcome of that fight. If you're hoping for an apology you should leave now, before you're disappointed," Sasuke said.

"And you wonder why he doesn't want you back," the redhead said before she sat down at the edge of the bench.

Sasuke was used to her trying to press up against his side, but he was pleased that she no longer had the urge. He wasn't convinced of her words though, he had seen Naruto space out when he was close. He knew there was something left of what they had. He was thoroughly convinced that the blonde was just being stubborn. "There's only one thing that stands in the way of that," Sasuke said confidently.

"I pity the poor kid, I know that tone of voice. Anyway, when I was locked up he used to come and see me. I figure he was just trying to get to you, which he eventually did, judging by that kid of his…yours," she shook her head. "Even when he did find you, he didn't stop dropping by. His Chakra…it was warm, it's in a much better state than yours especially after all that darkness seemed to disappear. I dunno, I guess he said the right things and here I am," her nose scrunched as she watched Naruto who had started to stuff his face in some sort of eating contest with Inuzuka. "It's not quite being in charge of a jail or anything, but I'm doing what I'm good at," she shrugged.

Sasuke listened and when she was done he leaned on the table and continued to pick at what was on the table. He wasn't exactly surprised that Naruto could do something so simple and still have such a huge impact on someone's life.

* * *

"You made these Naru?" Ino said with a hint of surprise in her expression before it turned into pure bliss at the simple taste of the bread he and Naoyuki had made. "This is amazing! We should just get married right now, and have the cutest blonde babies, and then you could teach me how to make these," She said with a giggle, forcing a few people around the table to roll their eyes, and a certain raven's jaw to clench almost audibly.

"I'm not supposed to like this idea, am I?" Sai said as Ino's current boyfriend, his lip twisting into an awkward smile before reaching for a book. He didn't use it nearly as much as he used to, especially since he started dating the blonde social queen, but carried it around just in case. "Besides, it would make no sense if he's di—"

"Shut up Sai! Or do you want another broken nose" Naruto growled as he sat up, no longer using Shikamaru as back support. "Go ahead! Say it!" the blonde yelled as he started climbing over the table, only to be dragged back by Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Calm down kid!" Kiba said, although there was a hint of laughter that echoed from around the table.

"There's no need for that," Sai said, his expression not changing as he waved his hands in front of him.

"Another?" Sasuke said, looking at Neji with a frown. He was mostly keeping the conversation between them.

"Mn, he made the mistake of questioning Naruto's gender when he started…showing," Neji said with a frown on his face. Sasuke on the other hand sported quite the smirk as he turned back to the dispute.

"Che, coward. Besides, I already have a beautiful baby who needs to be picked up from the academy right about now. He's the one who knows how to make them, come over sometime and I'm sure he'd love to show you," He muttered and moved to stand.

"You're too adorable! Isn't he adorable?" Ino said as she leaned onto Sai's shoulder.

"I am no—I'm going now, Ino, don't expect me to come back," Naruto said with a frown and would never admit that his voice was just a smidge deeper than usual.

"I could go get him if you want," Sasuke said, his expression remained blank as everyone turned to stare at him but Naruto could tell he was nervous. "We're supposed to train anyway, it makes sense," he said.

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair and with a brief glance over to Shikamaru he nodded. "I'll go with anyway, he asked me if I'd go with him, so I may as well," He shrugged. "You should stay here Neji," Naruto grinned. "Take a break, all right?"

"Naruto, you know I'm not supposed to—"

"Do you always have to be so difficult!" Naruto said with a growl as he slumped forward. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I can handle it!"

"Just go," Neji said rolling his eyes, though it was such a subtle movement it was hardly noticeable. "I don't want to hear you whine all the way there,"

"I don't whine! You just don't want to adm—"

"You're going to make us late, idiot," Sasuke said.

"Why is everyone picking on me today?" Naruto pouted and shook his head. "Just go, Bastard. I want to get away from these jerks, not even my own boyfriend will stick up for me," he stuck his tongue out at everyone before he shoved Sasuke toward the school, only to have his hands slapped. "Stop that, asshole! I'll see you later Shika," Naruto called over his shoulder, missing another questionable expression from the brunette.

Once they were out of earshot, Sasuke finally decided to speak up again. "You know, for a while there I had made the mistake thinking that you had actually grown up," there was a quirk to his lip.

"You know, out of the two of us, I'm the one who's acting civilized right?" Naruto grumbled as he shoved his hands deep inside his pockets.

"Neji is right, you do whine a lot," more than just a quirk of his lip now.

"Yeah, well it's because I'm surrounded by bastards all day long," the blonde huffed.

"I thought I was the bastard,"

"Oh, don't worry, you still hold the title for the most bastardly," Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know, I'm not above just taking Naoyuki home. It's not like he doesn't have chores to do," he muttered.

"You think so? By all means, tell him that," Sasuke said once the academy came into view.

"Shut up, you know that I can't do that," Naruto's protest was weak at best as he walked over to the old rope swing and sat on the wooden plank. He knew he probably looked ridiculous with his knees almost to his armpits. Sasuke settled just beside him, they were clearly early, but other parents had begun to gather as well. It wasn't long before Naruto caught wind of a low mumble that was circulating between the adults. He felt a sickening drop in his stomach, this feeling was so familiar. He was suddenly a child again, sitting on this very swing while people spoke about a demon in hushed tones. There were eyes on him and he couldn't shake the unbearable feeling of being unwanted.

A snort tore him from his brief trance and he looked up to Sasuke. He wasn't alone, and it wasn't just him they were talking about.

"I hear he's the one who ran off with Orochimaru. How can he let his son be around such a monster?"

"We should file a complaint with administration, they shouldn't let criminals on school grounds."

"What if he kidnaps the poor boy?"

Naruto was tense as he finally brought his eyes to the crowd, and the whispers seemed to immediately die away. He didn't know what to do. He knew that Sasuke had heard just as well as he did. In fact, he probably heard more. Was he a bad parent? He had gone over this dozens of times with Iruka and with Shikamaru. It was his decision, Sasuke wouldn't hurt Naoyuki, not like that. That particular thought had never crossed his mind, not since he had finally sat down to speak with Sasuke when he came back.

"You don't believe that garbage, do you?" Sasuke said, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

"I—" Naruto started and his fingers began to clench around the rope that supported his weight. "I mean, why? You…" there was a long pause without any real clarification to what Naruto was going to say.

"I would never. You know me!" came the hiss from between Sasuke's teeth as he leaned down close enough that Naruto could smell his earthy scent.

"Do I?" Naruto frowned, not daring to meet Sasuke's gaze. His timid demeanour seemed to have shifted into a quiet anger. "I recall you telling me the opposite, once upon a time," Naruto said vaguely registering the dismissal bell.

Sasuke took a step back, his eyes widening. Naruto assumed that he recalled their first night together when Sasuke assured him that Naruto knew nothing about him. "I was trying to hurt you—"

"Congratulations, one of your plans actually succeeded," Naruto said. He regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but that was the moment that Naoyuki had spotted them and ran toward them.

"Naruto—" Sasuke's voice sounded deeper than normal.

"We're not doing this now!" Naruto hissed through a practiced smile. "Hey kiddo," Naruto said as he stood, opening his arms as Naoyuki launched himself forward.

"You came!" Naoyuki said with a smile. It was somewhat cautious; Naruto figured he probably sensed the tension in the air. The blonde refused to pull his son into their fight though.

"Of course, I haven't had you beat me up in so long. I need to see what you've been learning, obviously," Naruto said as he absent mindedly waved at Kurenai who was picking up her own child.

"I think you're going to be impressed," Naoyuki said as he squirmed out of Naruto's hold. "Hi, Sasuke," Nao's tone changed, but it was definitely nothing like the icy contempt it was filled with before.

"Hn," Sasuke only nodded and Naruto could recognize the raven withdrawing.

"We're going to run out of daylight," Naruto said with a grin and ruffling Naoyuki's hair he took off toward the training ground.

"Dad, I just got it out of my face again!" Naoyuki growled as he ran off after his dad, trying to fix his hair as he walked. Sasuke trailed slowly behind.

Once they were at the training grounds Naruto walked over to the logs and leaned against the middle one. His arms crossed over his chest and he wore a childish grin on his face. "Whenever you're ready," he said. He was doing his best to ignore the previous incident. He was relieved when Naoyuki seemed to forget the odd atmosphere that had fallen around Sasuke and himself.

After a brief warm up the two took their stances, Naoyuki's form was improving week by week. The only thing holding him back was the awkwardness of childhood and lack of experience. Sasuke on the other hand, appeared to be tense around his shoulders, and his expression seemed to be elsewhere. Naruto wasn't sure he was ready to view Sasuke as someone with feelings just yet. Up until recently he had simply been the man who had pushed Naruto forcibly from his life. Even so, the guilt he felt for his previous comment refused to shake.

Before Naruto could delve farther into that train of thought Naoyuki had launched his first attack on Sasuke. Naruto smiled when he realized that Naoyuki was keeping light on his feet, he must have determined that Sasuke, though lean, was heavy with muscle. Naoyuki had the benefit of being quicker and smaller and made that his strategy. Even though Naruto knew Sasuke wasn't fighting with his real potential he was impressed that Nao successfully seemed to dodge every attack. This went on for several minutes, until Naruto could see a sheen of sweat starting to form.

"Damn it, Sasuke!" Naoyuki forcefully shoved Sasuke's arm down and took two heavy steps back. His breath was shallow and he quickly reached up to fix his hair. "You're going easy on me and I don't like it!"

Naruto had always been amazed at how much of his anger Naoyuki had inherited, but his expression was always as icy and dangerous as Sasuke's.

"Is it because I'm not improving enough? What am I doing wrong?" Naoyuki's hands were balled into fists and he refused to let up on his glare.

"No, it's nothing like that," Sasuke insisted. His eyes kept flicking over to Naruto as he spoke but the blonde didn't notice. "My mind is elsewhere, just give me a second," He said. Sasuke stepped back and with a few cricks and cracks he finished stretching and reassumed his stance.

When they continued Naoyuki opted to keep with his strategy and appeared to be more determined than ever. He weaved around Sasuke's moves to the best of his ability, it wasn't until he managed to make Sasuke stumble that he extended his arm, aiming straight for the man's throat in a well-controlled movement. Sasuke recovered in record time to block which caught Naoyuki off guard, earning him an elbow to his chest. He fell back with a grunt and stayed down. "Ow…" he said as he rubbed his chest and glared back up at Sasuke. "I'm going to get you again one day," He grumbled before he flopped backward to lie on his back. "Did you see that dad? I got this close," He held up his fingers in a small measurement, and the tired expression morphed into a grin.

"I did, all of this in only a month and a half," Naruto said with a smile as he walked forward and leaned down to pick his son off the ground. He wiped Naoyuki's brow just before giving him a long hug. "Your grandpa Iruka isn't going to know what hit him, is he?"

Naoyuki laughed before squirming out of Naruto's hold. "Nope! That was the plan," he said before turning to look at Sasuke. "Thank you," He nodded.

Sasuke blinked, but with a smirk he nodded and Naruto knew that Sasuke probably appreciated the time more than Naoyuki did.

"Hey dad? I think it would help if I could…witness others sparring. Do you think maybe you and Sasuke could?" Naoyuki said as he reached up to tighten his hair.

"Nao, I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Naruto said with a frown.

"Scared, moron?"

"If you wanted that busted cheekbone so bad why didn't you just say so, bastard?" Naruto said, immediately taking a defensive pose.

"Dad, you said you weren't going to swear!" Naoyuki said as he moved away from the two.

"Oh yeah," Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry," He said, poking his tongue out between his teeth when he smiled.

"Any time would be great," Sasuke chimed in.

"You're so impatient!" Naruto grumped as he took his stance. It was completely beyond the blonde to hold back the grin on his face. He had been concerned purely on the grounds that he was afraid he was going to hurt Sasuke. Now he was excited to show Sasuke just what he could be like when he was serious. He was so wound up in anticipation that when Naoyuki gave the signal to begin he shot forward, his fist connecting with Sasuke's jaw sending him straight to the ground. Naruto's eyes widened as he stared down at the raven and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Told you dad was fast," Naoyuki said just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sasuke lifted himself up and with a glare he held his face with one hand. He didn't say anything, and instead he grounded himself with his hand and swung his leg out. Naruto squawked and jumped back two small steps just in time to avoid having his legs kicked out from beneath him. By then, Sasuke was already up on his feet, the raven launched forward. Naruto twisted his body to avoid being struck in the face and Sasuke was quick to follow up with three well placed jabs. The blonde blocked Sasuke's elbow, sidestepped another swipe at his legs and leaned back narrowly missing a flat palm to his nose. His eyes widened as he watched the arm slide passed by his face. The blonde reached up, and grabbing Sasuke's arm he twisted and fully intended to force Sasuke over his shoulder and into the ground. When he pulled Sasuke's weight the raven grabbed onto Naruto's wrist with his free hand and caught himself with his feet before he could crash into the ground.

They paused like that with a tremble running through their bodies as they supported each other's weight and all Naruto could think of how it hadn't rained in a long time. The earth beneath his feet was dry. The thought was his downfall, because that was when Sasuke decided to twist around Naruto's side and elbow him in his back. Naruto's eyes widened and he caught himself before his face met the ground and quickly rolled to the left, lifting his arm to block another blow to his face. He curled his leg up and placing his foot flat on Sasuke's chest he pushed backward before placing his hands on the ground to launch himself into an upright position.

"You must have improved more than this, moron," Sasuke said as he held a defensive stance.

"If you think that's going to work, you're wrong," he knew that Sasuke was trying to trigger his temper, but Naruto had more control than that now. He watched Sasuke with a fierce expression; he could tell that Sasuke favoured his left leg. Finally he advanced on Sasuke and relentlessly focused on the right leg in any minute way that he could. He kept it up until Sasuke retaliated in anger, lifting his good leg he placed a kick at Naruto's chest which the blonde promptly blocked with his forearms. He stepped back and sucked in a deep breath as he watched the heavy fall of Sasuke's chest. His lip twisted, he had always figured that Sasuke would smell of spices, of fire and destruction. Now he stood face to face with the man he once loved, and instead he reminded him of peaceful evenings after the rain where a light fog rolled into his garden magnifying the moonlight. His lashes fluttered when he felt his back dig into the ground and with wide eyes he stared up at Sasuke who now had the blonde pinned to the ground. He mentally cursed the bastard, it was his fault he wasn't on his game, Naruto knew it.

"Oh…I think I recall being in this position before," Sasuke's breath was a low near inaudible hum in his ear.

He was instantly aware of Sasuke's pelvis pressing against his and he flailed. His hand made a slapping sound when it landed on Sasuke's face and he pushed him back, forcing Sasuke off to side awkwardly. He somehow managed to climb back to his feet with a little bit of grace before he went after the raven with a growl. How dare he? "Why are you such a bastard?"

"Why aren't you being serious?" Sasuke countered as they came to blows again.

There was a sheen of sweat between them, and their breathing was so laboured by this point that it echoed in Naruto's ear. A distinct crackle sounded in the air and an ineffable anger came to life in Naruto's gut. Within an instant he had conjured three clones, the first took Sasuke's hits, and the second followed the movement and grabbed Sasuke, throwing him to the ground while the third made sure he stayed there. Naruto was on top of him, straddling his torso with a Kunai pressed firmly to the man's throat and an unforgiving glare on his face. The blonde had the element of surprise on his side, otherwise he imagined Sasuke never would have gone down so easily. "What the hell was that?" He snarled his face inches away from Sasuke's.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke's fists were trembling and his expression was clearly shocked.

"If I heard it you must have felt it you bastard!" Naruto said, his free hand moving to lift Sasuke's shirt despite his protests. He pulled back to look at the distinctive seals on Sasuke's torso, inspecting them but found no fault. "I heard your chidori," Naruto said as he stepped back.

"No! I-I don't know what…or how it happened, you have to believe me!" This panicked Sasuke wasn't something Naruto was used to seeing.

"So what? It's just your instinctual response to try and kill me with that blasted technique?" Naruto said as he stepped back, holding out his hand to stop Naoyuki from coming any close like he was trying to.

"No! I wouldn't…It's not—" Sasuke said as he relaxed in the clone's hold, "Please, I didn't do it on purpose. I wouldn't violate my sentence, not for something so stupid," Sasuke said.

"Naoyuki, we're going to go home now," Naruto said as he dispelled the clones only to create another and informed it to find Neji. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm letting it go this time, understand? Get up, you're going back to Neji," He said aware of Sasuke's hesitant moves to stand.

"Dad? What happened?" Naoyuki said, his hand closing around Naruto's sleeve as he stared up at the man.

"It's nothing. You should head home okay? Go straight there, and I'll be there shortly," He said as he shooed the boy off with a smile.

"Okay…I'll make you something to eat for when you get there okay?" Naoyuki said. Naruto was sure the boy was trying to rid him of his mood.

"Don't touch the stove," he said before he turned to look at Sasuke once Naoyuki was off, "I found Neji," Naruto said when his clone dispelled across the village. He started walking toward Sasuke's apartment and made no attempt to ease the tense atmosphere.

"Naruto, I wouldn't risk time with our son over a simple sparring match. If you know anything about me, you have to know that," he said.

Naruto could hear the desperation in his voice and he shook his head. "There's something up with that seal, I can't see it right now, but I know something is wrong with it. I should have done it," He muttered quietly.

"I don't feel any different," Sasuke said.

"I'm not going to say anything about your Chidori, but the seal has to be looked at, and probably reinforced. You won't be held responsible," he said. He felt a hand close around his wrist and urge him to a full stop. He turned to look at the Raven with a questioning frown on his face.

"Thank you, Naruto. I know how you must—"

"Sasuke, I'm not ready to talk about whatever this is," Naruto said, half-heartedly trying to slip his wrist from Sasuke's grip.

"Fine," Sasuke said in a defeated tone and let Naruto's hand fall so he could continue walking.

"Sasuke, I don't think Nao should spar with you. Not until your seals are looked at," Naruto said nervously as he trailed slowly after Sasuke. "I'm choosing to believe you didn't know how it happened, so if you're not in control I can't risk him getting hurt," Naruto said, noting how Sasuke's shoulders tensed.

"That's reasonable. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him, I wouldn't forgive myself," Sasuke sounded as if he was struggling with the words. Naruto believed Sasuke's innocence more then, than when he had been pleading back at the training grounds. There was so much that Sasuke's surrender to the village had changed in the raven. Pleading, thanking, apologizing, it was hard to adapt to. Naruto now knew Sasuke would do anything to remain here with his son and Naruto knew that he'd eventually have to acknowledge it.

"I know, Sasuke," Naruto murmured before spotting Neji just up the way. He raised his hand and waved obnoxiously.

"Oh, good, he's in once piece," Neji said when they met half way down the road. "I was afraid when your clone showed up that he'd be a little worse for wear," he said with a smug expression.

"You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Sasuke said with a glare that Naruto could practically feel.

"I wish, but no, I gotta talk to you about something before I leave," Naruto said and proceeded to inform Neji of everything that happened. After he agreed to handle the seal situation Naruto finally departed.

* * *

Naruto left within a couple of days on another mission, leaving Sasuke to undergo another round of sealing a few days after that. They had found the weak spot in the seal fortunately. They had originally wanted Naruto to do it, something about him being the best in the village, but evidently the blonde was gone. It wasn't a particularly painful process like it had been the first time. He had the benefit of already having most of his chakra cut off anyway. He recalled the first sealing, the sudden lack of chakra equated with a lack of safety and it took all his self-control not to panic in front of the shinobi who performed the seals.

Sasuke hadn't seen Naoyuki since the day they had sparred. He agreed with Naruto on his decision, Sasuke had felt the chakra around him that day and he would never put Naoyuki in that position. The seal must interfere with his control as well because he had no plans of even trying ninjutsu until the blasted seals were removed. When he walked back to his apartment with an armful of groceries, he was surprised to see Naoyuki sitting on his bed, looking out the window.

"Who are you supposed to be with today?" Sasuke asked as he put the bag on the counter.

"Grandpa Iruka," Naoyuki said. "He was busy though, so I came here," he shrugged before he slid off of the bed. He walked over quietly and without saying a thing he began to put groceries away with Sasuke.

"Does he know where you are?" Sasuke said as he started putting away things on higher shelves.

"Well, yeah I have no reason to just run off without saying anything," Naoyuki said with a frown. "Plus Dad didn't say I couldn't…visit."

"Naoyuki," Sasuke said as an unfamiliar pressure closed around his heart. He watched the boy and was certain that Nao was refusing to meet his gaze. It was fine, Sasuke let him because he knew it must have been hard to admit, especially when he had tried so hard to keep Sasuke away. He was ultimately glad that his 'let Naoyuki approach you' plan was working so well.

"Don't sound like that, there just wasn't any time to set up any traps," Naoyuki said with a frown as he placed the can in one of the bottom cupboards with a loud thump.

"If you say so," Sasuke said as he took a few of the veggies and fruits he had to rinse them off.

"Do you think that I could maybe stay here while you do boring stuff?" Naoyuki said, leaning against the counter.

"Despite you thinking I'm boring, of course you can," Sasuke said as he gathered a cluster of grapes onto a plate as Naoyuki ran off into the center of his apartment, grabbed his bag and started setting up an assortment of art supplies. Sasuke smiled as he witnessed the boy settle down on the floor by the bed with his legs crossed quietly scribbling on a pad of paper vaguely recalling how Naruto told him he had an artistic side. He walked over and set the small plate of grapes beside Naoyuki, amused when the boy hid the pad from him but didn't forget to thank Sasuke for the grapes. He left him in peace before moving to turn on the small radio Naruto had been gracious enough to provide him with. Sasuke finally settled down on his bed with a book and began to read, listening to the radio and Naoyuki draw for the next few hours.

"Sasuke?" Naoyuki twisted from his spot on the floor so he was resting his elbows on the edge of Sasuke's bed with a peeled grape poking out from between his lips.

"Yes?" Sasuke put the book down on his lap, it seemed Naoyuki had been waiting for him to look before he finally ate the grape.

"Do you think I could do this again tomorrow? Come hang out?" the boy rested his chin on his folded arms and he just stared at Sasuke expectant of an answer.

"Of course," Sasuke said. "As long as your…grandpa is okay with it," Sasuke was still having trouble getting around all these titles that Naoyuki addressed people with. "Tell me, why don't you just stay at his house?" he asked.

"Well…its fine when Papa Kakashi's there, but usually when Dad goes out on a mission it's with the old team Kakashi. Nana says they're the best team in the village," Naoyuki said, his tone brimming with pride. "It's too quiet though because he likes to work on school stuff without any noise," Nao said as he slid back down onto the floor so only his eyes could be seen over the edge of the bed.

"What are you drawing?" Sasuke asked as he moved to sit up.

"It's not finished…I can't tell you," Naoyuki said with a frown before he grabbed the small pad to himself. "I should go though, I'll probably get in trouble if I stay out any longer, bye Sasuke," Naoyuki said as he stuffed everything in his bag before taking off out the window.

Sasuke had nodded and once Naoyuki had left he smiled to himself. He probably should be concerned that Naoyuki had taken to breaking into his apartment, but then he'd have to acknowledge that he had been leaving his window unlocked on purpose.

Naoyuki returned every day of the week. Each time he brought a sketch pad and refused to let Sasuke see it, but he did let Sasuke read to him on occasion. It was Naoyuki's idea though, but recalling what Naruto had said about their son and silence, Sasuke's protest was no more than a moment's hesitation.

He found it odd that on the sixth day Naoyuki didn't show up. When the hours passed Sasuke finally got up with the intent to find his former academy instructor just to make sure the boy was okay. When he opened the door he found himself face to face with Iruka himself and his body grew tense.

"Sasuke…" Iruka looked nervous, but it was buried under a thick layer of worry. "Have you seen Naoyuki? He went out to play with his friends but they haven't seen him in a while. He mentioned that he comes to see you sometimes."

Biting the inside of his cheek he stepped out the door and closed it. He then walked over to Neji's door and laid two firm knocks before finally turning back to Iruka. "I haven't, but I'll help look for him," Sasuke said, trying to keep a level head even though his insides were burning with the need to obliterate any potential danger that might find his son.

"Thank you Sasuke…it might be a good idea to have Neji search as well," Iruka said when Neji appeared from his door. Iruka wasted no time with pleasantries and turned and hurried down the steps to further his search.

* * *

It had been a very long week, Naruto was making headway in negotiating a peace contract between a few outside nations. People recalled well, the last shinobi war and Naruto's contribution. He was a legend within Konoha and throughout the shinobi world. That was why the old bat always sent him out on these missions, hoping the admiration for Naruto and the blonde's charm could win the negotiations. Unfortunately they weren't without their altercations, he was just happy he didn't have to head to the hospital this round. He had already reported to the Hokage and now he was looking forward to picking up the brat, and maybe taking a long bath. He had a bad feeling on the way home, but chalked it up to having to be the bearer of bad news since Kakashi had been turned around and put right back on another mission.

He headed toward Iruka and Kakashi's house but was stopped along the way when he saw Sasuke and Neji. He could sense something was wrong immediately. "Hey! What's going on?" He called as he jogged toward them. The feeling only intensified when Sasuke turned to him and Naruto could see the worry written all over his face.

"No one has seen Naoyuki since this morning," Sasuke said, the tension overwhelming his voice.

"What?" Naruto stopped mid step as he felt something clench around his heart. Not again, this couldn't be happening again.

"Now's not the time for that Naruto!" Sasuke growled as he reached to grab his arm, pulling Naruto from his trance.

"You're right," Naruto's expression changed from horror to anger in a second. "Neji, I'll search with Sasuke. I'm sorry to ask but it would be easier if you could scout with your Byakugan without us in the way," Naruto said, thankful for once that Neji simply nodded and took off.

"Come on, we were going this way," Sasuke said, his arm sliding down Naruto's arm to his wrist. The blonde had no time to process the movement as he followed the Raven, keeping his eyes out for his son.

"Who else is looking?" Naruto asked.

"Iruka, Nara and Inuzuka are searching to the east and through the center. Hyuuga and I were supposed to take west but he cleared most of it already," Sasuke said.

Naruto only nodded, unable to talk without losing himself. He was glad Sasuke could manage enough Chakra to keep up. They weren't the best trackers, only wished Kakashi hadn't been immediately sent away, his pack could have narrowed the search significantly.

"Naruto, we'll find him," Sasuke said.

"Stop talking and concentrate," Naruto growled. It wasn't that he was unappreciative, but he couldn't waste time. They fell into silence after that, only stopping to occasionally call out for Naoyuki.

Hours passed with no sign from him. Several people had joined the search from their group, but no one had any luck within the core village. The sky was just starting to turn orange when Naruto finally spoke, "What if he's hurt Sasuke? I don't know what I'm going to do," His brow was furrowed and he could feel the panic rising in his throat.

"Naruto, we'll find him. Don't overexert yourself worrying about something that might not be true," Sasuke tried to reason with him.

"How can you say that? How can you not feel like this?" Naruto said and had planned on screaming even more at the other man when Sasuke grabbed his arms and pulled him close. Naruto stared up wide eyed.

"I'm not saying this to be cruel, or because I don't care. I don't want you to waste energy worrying excessively when you can be doing something useful! Get a hold of yourself!" Sasuke growled, stunning Naruto into silence.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you're Naruto Uzumaki right? The man who saved Konoha?" came an unfamiliar voice.

Naruto frowned and he pulled back from Sasuke and cleared his throat. "I apologize, but I'm not really available to talk right now," he said carefully.

"I think you misunderstand, I believe I found something that belongs to you. He won't move, and I'm too old to be trying to make him," The man seemed amused.

"You've seen my son?" Naruto asked as he reached forward, grabbing the older man's arms. "Please tell me he's okay," he pleaded.

"He'll probably tell you otherwise, but he's just fine," The man chuckled. "Follow me, he's up at my farm," he said before he turned and began walking.

"He's safe," he said softly and he curled his fists until they cracked, he was trying to keep himself composed.

"I told you we'd find him," Sasuke said. When Naruto felt the raven's hand rest on his back he didn't give enough thought to brush it off, he was so consumed with relief.

It took about a half an hour to get there, and when they arrived the man took them around the back to a large field and pointed to a cluster of Cherry trees surrounded by lazing cattle. "There he is, right there," the man said, casually resting his hands in his pockets. Sure enough, Naoyuki was crouched up in the tree, staring down at the cattle with a frown on his face. He looked like an absolute mess, thistles and branches were tangled up in his hair, there was dirt on his face and his shirt had a large hole on the side. Naruto was about to go and grab him but Sasuke beat him to it, jumping the fence and eventually into the trees. "I tried to talk him down, but all he'd say was that he wanted his dad. Took me a while, but I finally got your name out of him," the man said.

"Thank you for coming to find me," Naruto said, "We've been searching for him all day. Please, tell me if there's anything I can do to repay you," He finished as he called upon his clones to inform the rest that they had found him.

"Oh, none of that," the old man said with a smile, "Just glad to get him back to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm sure dinner is about ready," He nodded and headed toward the main house.

Sasuke walked up a few moments later with Naoyuki clinging to him. Sasuke's hand rested on the back of his hair and he cradled him close. The sight was enough to pull at Naruto's heart. When they were close enough he was easily transferred to Naruto and he discovered just how tight Naoyuki's grasp was. "Naoyuki, I'm glad you're safe," He murmured softly, hugging him back just as tightly as he began to walk back to the village. "What happened?" Naoyuki just shook his head fiercely and Naruto noted that it wasn't until they were far enough from the farm that the boy stopped trembling.

When it was clear that Naoyuki wasn't going to say anything Sasuke spoke up. "He's afraid of cows," he said seriously.

"Cows? Why on…why didn't you just jump out of the tree? You know how to jump far enough," Naruto said to the child in his arms.

"They were staring at me dad! They chased me and stared me down with those giant creepy cow eyes! One of them tried to eat me!" he was squirming now and was able to look up at his dad. His thin brow was furrowed and he pointed back at the farm, "They wouldn't leave me alone! How was I supposed to do anything?" He demanded.

Naruto bit the inside of his lip as he heard the boy run off at the mouth, but he listened. He pulled the boy close and pet down his back, "I'm sorry, that must have been awful," He murmured. He turned to look at Sasuke who was pinning him with a questioning stare and he shook his head with a frown, murmuring that he had no idea that Nao had such a strange fear.

"You know they're herbivores and walk as fast as the dead, right?" Sasuke said and grunted when Naruto punched him awkwardly in the arm.

"They sure walk a lot faster than you if it took you this long to find me! Dad was on a mission, what's your excuse?" Naoyuki yelled, but his words were muffled into Naruto's shoulder. "Shin said he'd go straight to get you!"

Naruto frowned and stared at Sasuke who looked just as confused as he did. "Naoyuki, Shin has been at home all afternoon, he didn't say anything to anyone," Sasuke said.

"That jerk forgot about me!" Naoyuki said as he pulled back, "see if I help him with his studies anymore!" he squirmed out of Naruto's hold and was going to make a run for it before Naruto's hand closed around the collar of his shirt stopping him before he even started.

"I don't think so young man," Naruto said with a frown. "You're filthy, and I don't know how I'm even going to start fixing…this," His hand made a circle gesture, indicating all of Naoyuki.

"Fine," He muttered as he fell in step with his dad.

They were able to move a lot faster this time, since it was just the three of them. They made it back to the core village where Iruka, Shikamaru and Neji were waiting. Iruka jogged forward and immediately started fussing over Naoyuki. "Thank goodness you're okay!" he said before looking up to Naruto, brow furrowed. "Naruto, I'm sorry, I should have been paying more attention and—"

"He's safe," Naruto said with a note of exhaustion in his voice as he held his hand up. "Please, it's okay. That's all that matters," He said. It wasn't like he didn't let Naoyuki run around with his friends himself.

"Shika! I was trapped by wild animals, like a hundred of them!" Naoyuki said. "It was awful!" He frowned as he ran toward the brunette and forcibly launched himself into his arms.

Naruto tried to ignore the palpable anger that was radiating from Sasuke as Naoyuki went to Shikamaru for comfort. "He knows that cattle are widely domesticated, right?" Sasuke said through clenched teeth.

"Why don't you redirect your anger on someone who isn't your son," Naruto said with a frown, and without a second thought walked passed Sasuke to join Shikamaru and Naoyuki.

"I think we should get you home," Shikamaru said, his brow raised as he looked at Naruto. "I'm sure you'll want to be clean by the time you have to go to bed," he mused.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke," Naoyuki waved over his shoulder.

"Can you take him back? I'll head with Iruka to get his things. I'll catch up with you okay?" Naruto said and he pulled Iruka along, leaving Sasuke to Neji making it no mystery that he was annoyed with the raven. He explained how Kakashi had to head back out of the village, grabbed Naoyuki's things and was off home before long.

It took three solid hours just to get Naoyuki to the half clean state he was. He was relatively clean, his torn shirt had been thrown out and Naruto and Shikamaru were currently trying to carefully pry all the thistles from Nao's hair.

Naruto shared a look with Shikamaru before he let out a breath. "Nao, honey…" not a usual endearment he used, but drastic times. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to cut your hair," He said in a level voice.

Naoyuki's eyes widened and he stared back and forth between the two before he shook his head. "No! I took so long dad! Are you sure you just aren't trying hard enough?" He said as he climbed up on the counter to take a better look at his hair.

"It will grow back Naoyuki," Shikamaru said as he pulled just a small bit of thistle out, only to have Nao whimper as it tugged at his skull.

"I know that…" He looked back at Shikamaru with a sigh before he sat down on the counter. "Do it," He mumbled as he looked down.

"I'll leave you two to it," Shikamaru said as he ducked out of the bathroom and Naruto swore he could hear a few pots and pans being moved around in the kitchen.

"Okay," Naruto murmured, he was glad for whatever reason that the brunette could calm Naoyuki down with almost no words at all. Even if Naruto had said the same thing, he was sure Nao would have just yelled at him. "Here goes," He said as he started carefully trimming Naoyuki's hair, sure not to leave him with uneven hair. He salvaged what he could. When he was done he stepped back and let out a breath. "Finished."

Nao looked at the both of them before turning around and sighed with sad eyes. "Oh well, I look like I did back around my birthday," He said as he slipped off the counter. "Thanks for trying," He said as he messed with his hair.

"I'm sorry Nao," Naruto said he moved to run a bath for the boy.

"Don't worry about it dad. It was dumb anyway," He said as he got ready for his bath.

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked, confused as he tested the water before finally letting it run until it was full.

"Well, there's this girl at the academy," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "She really liked it when it started growing longer," He was going a deep shade of red.

Naruto smiled and he pushed Naoyuki's hair back, "I'm sure she'll like it just as much now," he said. He pressed his lips to the top of Naoyuki's head. "How did you manage to get so many thistles inside your hair anyway?" Naruto finally asked.

"Oh, that." Naoyuki leaned over the edge of the tub with a sigh. "They chased us through a few thickets, we tried to hide but stupid things found me and licked me," He muttered.

Naruto had to bite his inner lip to keep from laughing, "I guess we know not to play around on other people's land now, right?"

"Yes dad," Naoyuki droned as he climbed into the tub.

"Alright, call me if you need me. I'll be back to check up in a bit," He said as he left the door propped open before wandering toward the kitchen. "What's this? Shikamaru, lifting a finger to help?" Naruto said with a small smile as he saw Shikamaru preparing a simple meal.

"I can be useful when I need to be," Shikamaru said calmly as he wiped his hands off and turned around. "Today seemed like one of those times," he said.

Naruto sauntered quietly forward and leaned into Shikamaru's shoulder with a heavy sigh. "Thank you," He muttered. He felt Shikamaru's hand rest on the center of his back and he smiled. "I'm ready for this day to be over," he murmured.

"Just a few more hours," Shikamaru said as he pulled back and continued tending to the meal he was preparing.

"Yeah," Naruto said as he settled at the table, keeping an ear out for Naoyuki. "He has a crush on a girl at school," Naruto grinned and they let the entire night unwind. They spoke, they ate dinner, and finally slept.

* * *

"Did you know that your hair looks like the back end of a duck?" Naoyuki asked from his spot where he sat on the floor. Sasuke was seated at the kitchen table where there were three rickety chairs.

"Did you know that it's rude to say things like that? Do you think your dad would approve?" Sasuke said with a snort as he flipped the page.

"He probably thinks it too," Nao said laughing as he flopped over onto his back with his sketch pad.

"You got me there. So is that what you're drawing then?" Sasuke turned to look at the boy who had been in his apartment since before he came back from his morning training session. He had been seated against the bed like always.

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Nao said with a frown. "Why would I do that? There are plenty of pictures of you up around the house."

"There are?" Sasuke said with a frown.

"Well…yeah, from team seven, and with my gran—" he trailed off as he rolled over onto his stomach. "—yeah there are a few."

Sasuke was shocked but assumed he'd have proof since the dinner was the next day. That thought was interrupted when he caught sight of something on Naoyuki's back. He craned his neck to get a better look, "Is that the Uchiha clan symbol?" Sasuke asked, his voice quieter than normal.

"Hm? Oh, that? Yeah, I am an Uchiha after all. I grew out of my old clothes and dad didn't get around to fixing up my new ones until yesterday," Naoyuki said with a hum. "There's a bunch painted just outside home too," he chattered on like it wasn't a big deal, like Sasuke wasn't frozen in his seat, eyes hidden behind his hair. "Sasuke?" Naoyuki turned to look at him. He quickly picked himself off the ground and walked over to the table, leaning over he peeked under Sasuke's bangs.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said when the boy interrupted his vision and he cleared his throat.

Naoyuki looked at him for a long moment before he stepped climbed up onto the chair with Sasuke and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, and just stayed there for a long moment. "It's okay Sasuke," he murmured.

Sasuke's eyes were wide as he felt warmth radiate through him. With a hesitant and shaking hand he brought it up to rest on Naoyuki's, no, his son's back. He could feel the raised fan on the boy's back, it just concreted everything. This was real, he was a father. Naruto obviously knew it, and maybe Naoyuki was starting to see it too. This was why he had given his freedom up. He knew why he was bending so brilliantly to Naruto and sacrificing his pride. He had to grow up, and choose to sacrifice because he was a father. "I know," he murmured and he patted Naoyuki's back gently.

Naoyuki pulled back and he smiled as he slid back down to the floor. He took a moment to look over Sasuke before he nodded. "Good, you shouldn't be so sad all the time. You're here and you're safe right?" Naoyuki asked.

Safe, it was an odd justification for a six year old even though Sasuke understood why the boy felt the need to say it. He nodded again, dumbly, "Yeah, I am," He agreed. Brushing his fingers through his hair he watched the boy nod and move back to his papers. His fingers clenched and he let out a heavy breath, this new Naoyuki was going to need a little adjusting to.

If there was one thing Sasuke couldn't shake, it was the regret that he hadn't been here from the beginning.

**TBC.**

Oh man. I didn't realize that I had so much to write this chapter. Not originally where I planned to stop it but I think it needs to be that way. Please leave a review, they do make me feel happy. Thank you to all those who have already!

I'm going to take a moment to respond to all the guest reviews right now, and if I haven't responded to a signed review I'm sorry :c I must have gotten mixed up, I do try to respond to everyone.

**Guest, Em, guest 2, ak:** Thank you for reading and reviewing, I'm glad you're all enjoying the story~

**Tamengriki:** I feel very touched and I'm glad that you approve of what has been written so far. Thank you very much for giving it a chance and I hope you do enjoy future installments!

**Stalker-san:** Thanks for the two reviews; your second one gave me a laugh. I'm so tempted to draw something along those lines, but it will have to wait for the holiday break~

Take care everyone~

KoriC


	6. Chapter 5

**Warnings:** Shonen ai, language, POV changes, angst,

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Naruto world or anything in it. Nor do I own the lyric.

Chapter 5

—_Live through this, and you won't look back_

Stars

Sasuke had secretly been dreading this day. A month had gone by so quickly, and though he had made progress with Naoyuki, he still had to deal with other people interfering with their relationship. Neji had mentioned that only family was invited to these dinners, and he wondered if Shikamaru was there through extension or if he was considered family. That thought enraged him in such a way that he couldn't bring words to it. He knew he had to stay calm, anything he did could send him back into prison or worse, it could send him to his death. It was the only thing that kept him from actively trying to scare the shadow user off. Sasuke wasn't typically afraid to stake his claim on things he believed were his. He had passed his first evaluation point at three months; he had another three evaluations to go before he was potentially free.

He wasn't quite sure what to expect when he approached his childhood home. Walking through the district bustling with life only set him up to think that his house would be different too. No, he knew Naruto would change it, would put his mark on it somehow but he wasn't sure how the blonde would do it. He knocked on the door but didn't receive any answer; he turned to look behind him at Hyuuga who merely stood there with an increasingly familiar expression of boredom.

"The door's probably unlocked," Neji said as he walked up to the front door and pushed it open.

Sasuke could see the fluidity of familiarity in the other man's movements, like he'd been here a million times. He knew Naruto felt nothing more than friendship and admiration for Neji and he knew that the sentiment was mutual, but he still managed to feel a stab of jealousy. He huffed and stalked in behind the other man and sure enough, anything with previous colour had been repainted. No more was the faded green of the trim; the curtains on windows had been replaced with pale yellow. Each hall way was littered with photographs, he could see photographs of their generation, a few younger that he could only imagine were Naruto's genin team. There were several of Naruto's mentors that he vaguely recognized. The ones that made his mouth go dry were the ones of his family; the photos of his parents had been found and been put up, photos of his parents, Itachi and even himself. The photos that had been taken right around the time of their death were riddled with tension and stress that Sasuke hadn't been able to see as a child. He had put these photos away because it hurt; apparently 16 years away from these images didn't dull the pain.

"They're over this way," Neji said as he began to head toward the back deck, pulling Sasuke away from his childhood. He could hear a sharp clinking now that he wasn't lost in reverie and he followed the other man toward the noise. Along the way the photos continued to change, pictures of ninja from other villages, from different countries as made evident by the terrain usually accompanied by team Kakashi or Naruto's team. Every once in a while he found a picture of Naoyuki and his anger at all these familiar and unfamiliar faces alike seemed to dissipate. They were all relatively recent and if he was allowed to stray farther from Neji he would have loved to stay and look.

"Shika, can we stop now? This is boring," Naruto's voice sounded. When Sasuke stepped through the door he blinked at the scene he was met with. Naruto and Nara were sitting on the ground, playing Shogi of all things. Nara had an odd expression on his face as he carefully but swiftly set his pieces down. Naruto on the other hand was just moving anything anywhere. The raven didn't know much about the game, but he registered with surprise that each move Naruto made were a legal and didn't bring the game to an immediate halt.

"Aren't you notorious for never giving up?" Shikamaru said, his bored expression meeting Sasuke's for the briefest second. Sasuke could see a little animosity but it was well hidden.

"Fine, fine. I don't know why you didn't just play with Naoyuki, he likes this boring stuff too," Naruto whined as he clicked a few more pieces down when he was due.

"Naruto, I'm leaving him in your care," Neji said from where he had leaned on a support beam.

Naruto waved over his shoulder with a hum, "Yeah, just tell the bastard to sit over there and we'll see you later," the blonde said as he continued to move his pieces around.

"You heard him," Neji said with a smirk as he stood straight and disappeared inside, leaving Sasuke to growl and mutter under his breath.

"You're a moron," Sasuke said as he moved to sit down, cross legged. He paid close attention to Naruto's tanned fingers moving, seeing the bones shift under his skin as he grasped the pieces. He could tell that Naruto's movements had slowed significantly when he spoke out loud.

"Shut up, bastard. I'm trying to concentrate here," Naruto said not seeming to hear a shuffle of footsteps join them on the deck.

"Naruto, we're he—" Iruka stopped and blinked when he saw the scene in front of him. Kakashi leaned over him with a curious but bored expression. "—oh, sorry. I'll just shut right up," Iruka said with nervous laughter.

"Thanks," Naruto said waving again. He paused every once in a while to ponder a move and finally he let out a heavy sigh and slapped down a piece. When Shikamaru didn't move he blinked and looked up to the brunette.

"What?" Shikamaru said as he stared at the board, almost looking ill. It was an expression that Sasuke took immense joy in.

"What?" Naruto parroted as he looked around. Clearly he hadn't seen what Shikamaru was staring at yet.

Kakashi hovered over the board a moment later, his fingers on his masked chin his brow lifted in a surprised manner. "Oh, look at that. You won Naruto," he said, as he smiled.

"Really?" Naruto looked at the board before turning back to Shikamaru who appeared to be retracing their moves in his head. "Awesome, does that mean I can leave?" Naruto grinned, his weight shifting until his body was tilted to the left.

"Just…go," Shikamaru said as he leaned forward until his cheek hit the table, shifting the pieces underneath. "What just happened?" Shikamaru muttered to himself.

"Yes!" Naruto said his arms in the air as he quickly stood up, but not without affectionately petting Shikamaru on the head. He turned around and the wide smile hadn't vanished yet. "Hey guys! Where's Nao?" Naruto asked, his expression quickly morphing into one of confusion as he looked around. "He came with you guys right?" he asked.

"He said something about changing his clothes," Iruka said, though his expression showed clear concern for Shikamaru who was still muttering things from where he hunched over the board.

Sasuke watched Naruto before he slowly stood,

"Oh, Sasuke…when did you get here?" Naruto said with a frown.

"You were ordering me around two seconds ago, moron," Sasuke growled and vaguely registered Nara muttering something about Naruto's unpredictable strategy.

"I was? Weird," Naruto grinned and he grabbed Iruka's arm and pulled him toward the house, "Come on Iruka! I'm not quite finished, and I think you might want to save dinner because I think I messed it up a little," he said not giving the brunette any time to protest.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Kakashi said, staring Sasuke down with one dark eye.

"Really? He invited me a month ago," Sasuke said as he moved to step into the house, not fancying the idea of staying out there with Shikamaru.

"I take it you and Naoyuki are getting along then," he mused.

"Considering he's visiting me of his own free will, I'd say so."

"Come to mention it, I think 'ruka said something like that," Kakashi said, pausing mid step to block a solid attack from Naoyuki. "Not today," Kakashi said with a smile.

"Naoyuki, I said no fighting inside the house!" Naruto's voice called from the kitchen.

"But Dad, it was part of my strategy! Ninja don't stop attacking just because they're inside!" Naoyuki whined back.

"I don't care what Ninja are supposed to do, cut it out!" Naruto said with a growl in his voice.

"Fine!" Naoyuki said as he slouched forward. He was just about to take off when he froze in mid step and stared, "Sasuke, what are you doing here?" he said, his once relaxed state was now awkward.

"Your dad invited me," was Sasuke's simple reply.

Naoyuki stared at him a long moment before he ran toward the kitchen, his footsteps were heavy. "Dad!" Sasuke couldn't quite place the tone, so he followed just in time to see Naoyuki run right into his dad's legs causing Naruto to spill some broth onto the counter.

"Naoyuki, stop that. What's gotten into you?" Naruto said with a frown as he tried to dislodge Naoyuki's embrace around his legs so he could grab a cloth.

"I got it Naruto," Iruka said, taking up the task.

"Thanks Iruka," Sasuke noted that Naruto had stopped calling him sensei. "Naoyuki, you're going to have to let go of me," Naruto said as he placed his hand on the back of the child's head before he looked up to Sasuke and the raven could see the confusion from across the room.

"You didn't say that Sasuke was going to be here!" Naoyuki said with a frown. "I thought that we were sup—"

"—Naoyuki, stop it." Naruto said with a frown as he pulled Nao's hands away from his legs and knelt down and murmured something really quiet before he urged the boy toward the door. "Can you finish up? Hey Sasuke, mind setting the table? Iruka knows where everything is," Naruto said before disappearing down the hall.

"I wouldn't worry about it Sasuke," Iruka's voice was a little timid when addressing him.

"Hn," was the only noise Sasuke said as he moved toward the cupboards. He could tell he made the older man nervous.

"Uh, plates are here, and utensils are over there," Iruka began to talk him through everything.

Sasuke frowned, it wasn't where he had kept everything, ironically Naruto kept the kitchen organized the same way his mother did. Sasuke didn't know how to feel about that. "Sure," was all Sasuke said as he gathered what he needed and made for the dining area. He could hear a soft mumble of Naruto's voice in a nearby room mixed with the sound of Kakashi talking to Nara outside. He didn't know what he did wrong to make Naoyuki act the way that he had.

It only took a few minutes before everything began to set up at the table. Sasuke helped only because Iruka had asked, Kakashi and Shikamaru had conveniently stayed out of earshot.

"Dinner's ready!" Iruka called and footsteps began to sound around the house.

Sasuke went to wash up, quietly navigating through the house and he stopped to look at a set of pictures. The middle picture had Naruto and Naoyuki in the foreground with matching grins. Though their smiles weren't identical they were equally as bright. Iruka was in the background, looking over his shoulder with a small smile and Kakashi was behind him. His former teacher had no mask on but he was conveniently scratching his nose, his large hand blocking his face. On the right side was a family portrait of Sasuke, his parents and Itachi. The breath Sasuke exhaled was audible and he chose to move on to the picture to the left. It was of the Fourth standing beside a redheaded woman that Sasuke could only imagine was Naruto's mother, judging from the large swell of her stomach.

"I like that picture," Naruto said from behind Sasuke. The raven vaguely heard Naoyuki running toward the dining room.

"You look like the…like your dad. I've always thought it was strange how similar you two looked" Sasuke said as he slowly turned to look at the blonde. "But your face is a lot like hers too," he said unable to put his finger on how they were similar.

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Naruto said with a small smile. It faded a moment later. "I thought that it was important that he know where he came from," Naruto said quietly and Sasuke could clearly tell that the blonde was actively trying not to look at the portrait of Sasuke's family. "I'm sorry that they're up," he finished.

"Don't apologize for something dumb like that," Sasuke said as he turned and walked down the hall. It hurt, but he understood why they were up and agreed that Nao had a right to know. He didn't know why he hadn't come to that conclusion by himself; he guessed he was too caught up in himself…like usual.

Naruto followed after him a moment later with a sigh, "I don't know much about them, I wish I could tell him more," Naruto said but Sasuke didn't acknowledge it outward so the blonde gave up.

Sasuke moved to the table where everyone else was seated except for Naoyuki. Naruto walked around the table to sit beside Shikamaru. As much as he wanted to sit beside the blonde, he imagined the two seats between Naruto and Kakashi were left open so Naoyuki could sit in the middle. He made toward his seat but Naoyuki stepped in front of him with an icy glare.

"No," he said holding his arms out, ignoring Naruto's demands for Naoyuki to calm down. "No! He's not allowed to sit down! You didn't ask me if he could come over!" Naoyuki said.

"We already discussed this Naoyuki, sit down and stop fussing," Naruto said about to stand up.

"I said no!" his eyes didn't move and Sasuke felt raw and isolated. "We're not allowed to fight at the dinner table. It's for family only, you said that there's only peace…so we have a problem," he said.

"Naoyuki, I have no idea what the problem is," Naruto tried again.

"You hurt Shikamaru and Dad when you first got here. I don't remember you apologizing. You can't sit down until you clear the air," Naoyuki said, unwavering.

Sasuke stared at the two and imagined if he didn't have any self-composure that he might have visibly trembled. Sasuke had already apologized to Naruto, pleaded to Naruto when no one was looking. Could he apologize to Naruto for his son in front of all these people?

"I apologize," Sasuke said cutting off Naruto's initial protests, his voice nothing but a low hum deep in his throat. "Can you forgive me? I make no hostile attempt now, nor will I in the future," his eyes were hidden by his hair. It seemed he could do this for the boy.

There was an awkward mumble between Shikamaru and Naruto then, agreeing to forgive the man. Naoyuki's eyes didn't leave Sasuke but when he heard the acceptance he nodded. "Good," Nao said before he stepped out of the way and climbed up onto a chair that was still too large for him. When Sasuke didn't move the boy twisted in his chair climbing onto his knees he looked at Sasuke with a frown. "Sit down Sasuke," he said like it was obvious that everything was all of a sudden completely normal.

"Right," Sasuke said as he moved forward, each step echoed until he found himself seated. Everyone was quiet for a moment before Naruto started squawking.

"Kakashi! Nobody wants to see that!" He said shrinking back in his seat while taking a small bite of his meal as Iruka tried to ward off Kakashi's advances.

Sasuke watched everyone interact. He couldn't quite remember his own family acting this way. His father was always so strict, his brother so serious. Sasuke wondered briefly if this was what family should feel like.

* * *

Dinner had taken long to get through; Sasuke hadn't known how to insert himself into any of the conversations. When everyone was finished and all the clutter on the table was cleared and taken care of everyone had moved back onto the deck. He watched the others interact, everyone was so casual. Iruka and Kakashi sat together leaning against one another talking about Iruka's new batch of students and Naruto joined in babbling about leaves and concentration. Nara was laying on his back, his head just at the edge and he stared up at the orange sky with Naoyuki sitting beside him watching the clouds. He frowned and his fist clenched. He couldn't do this; watch his son bonding with someone else like Nara belonged here or something. Now that Sasuke was quiet and in the background everyone had calmed down, the tension had drained from everyone's bodies and it pissed him off. He cursed Hyuuga for not being here. He couldn't leave without consequences and for the first time since arriving he was starting to question if watching this sickening scene was worth it. He was apparently only here to make everyone uncomfortable, to censor their speech, and to be otherwise replaceable. Naoyuki had obviously detested the idea of him being in this house, the house that belonged to Sasuke's family. It belonged to the Uchiha clan, not the Uzumaki's, he shouldn't feel like such a stranger here.

"Sasuke?" the voice broke him out of his spiral of hatred and he unclenched his fist he hadn't realized was beginning to tremble. He looked down to Naoyuki and the anger dissipated.

"What is it?" Sasuke said, sounding gruffer than he had planned. It was then that he realized that Naruto was watching him out of the corner of his eye, and he was certain Nara was as well.

Nao watched him just like he had the day before, before he had decided to embrace him. The boy grabbed his hand, "Come this way," he said simply, as he pulled him toward a set of stairs off the deck.

"I'll go with," Sasuke heard Kakashi say and he noted that the man stayed a significant distance behind them.

"You're acting sad again," Naoyuki said quietly as he walked with Sasuke, his hand was loosely around the man's wrist but whenever Sasuke's hand would start to fall away Naoyuki would adjust his grip.

"I'm not," he had been absolutely throat ripping angry, not sad. He let the boy bring him toward what appeared to be the lake he and Naruto had become rivals at.

"But something's wrong…I know you can't be by yourself here like you can where you live, so let's go somewhere else," Naoyuki smiled. It was so genuine and bright and Sasuke couldn't help but be glad that the boy hadn't noticed his fingers begin to tremble.

"Okay," Sasuke said softly. It was frightening how perceptive the boy could be once he decided he cared enough. Sasuke's thoughts were confirmed when he spotted the lake. Naoyuki didn't stop until they were firmly settled on the dock. He walked to the edge and sat himself down, his toes dipping into the water. He stood for a moment, looking over the reflection of the water and with a breath he sat down beside the boy noticing then that they had walked all this way without shoes.

"Dad comes here when he's upset or wants to be alone," Naoyuki said quietly as he leaned back on his hands and his foot kicked a little water upward. "He says it's because it's close enough to home that I can find him easily, but I think it's because it's important to him, because he could just go into our garden," Naoyuki said, turning to look at Sasuke.

"You think so?" Sasuke said before he looked over his shoulder. He was suddenly a child again and Naruto was standing on the hill, his nose angrily in the air. "He comes here often?" Sasuke asked.

"Mn, I dunno. He comes here when he gets into fights with important people, but real fights don't happen that much," Naoyuki shrugged.

"My dad took me here when I was a kid," Sasuke said as he rolled up a pant leg and slipped his foot into the water too. It was a little too cold for his liking, but he kept it there. He thought about telling the boy about Naruto and he sharing that silent moment but decided to keep it for himself.

"Really? What was he like?" Naoyuki asked, sitting up straighter.

"He was very strict," Sasuke said before wetting his lips with his tongue, his entire throat seemed to run completely dry. "He was traditional, and was the figure head of the entire clan…It was only a couple of times, he taught me an important technique here when he finally decided I was ready," he murmured.

"Dad doesn't tell me much about him…or any of them. He tried, told me everything he could," Naoyuki said as he pulled one leg up to his chest and rested his chin on it. Sasuke was prepared to tell him a little more but Naoyuki decided to continue. "He said that Itachi…uncle Itachi? Was a hero who gave up his life to protect the village and people that he loved most, but I can tell…when dad doesn't really know something, or doesn't know all the information he always pulls at his left ear. He did it whenever he'd tell me about my grandparents. So I knew it wasn't him…, that he wasn't my dad."

"Naoyuki," Sasuke started, but immediately ceased when Naoyuki held up one finger. He was a little thankful, because he had no idea what to say, he wasn't good at this.

"He never said anything about you. I mean, he said that you decided to leave, but that you were strong and were brave enough to end the war like a hero but he never once said your name. The pictures at home, I think I knew who he was. That he was, the other boy in the pictures was supposed to be m-my, you know?"

Sasuke's fingers were clenching again. Naoyuki was referring to Sasuke himself as the boy in the picture, as if Sasuke wasn't the same person because Naruto hadn't told him a thing.

"I always wondered if he didn't want me and maybe that's why he left," Naoyuki said as he hugged his knee tighter.

Sasuke's arms were around Naoyuki before the man could register what he was doing. His fingers rested on the back of his head and his other hand stroked gently down Naoyuki's small back. "Never think that," he whispered and his fingers fisted in the boy's shirt when he felt Nao's arms wrap around his torso the young boy absolutely quaking. "This is where I want to be Naoyuki, I love you, do you understand?"

Naoyuki nodded but made no sound as he clutched the back of Sasuke's shirt, making the collar pull against his neck. The only indicator that the boy was crying was the damp remnants his tears left on Sasuke's shirt. "Do you think they would have liked me?" Nao asked, muffled and weak into Sasuke's chest.

"They would have loved you," Sasuke said, when he realized Naoyuki meant his grandparents. "Loved you so much you wouldn't know what to do with it all," he whispered.

"Really?" the boy said, pulling back, his large eyes fixed on Sasuke's face not caring about the tracks on his face.

"I promise," He murmured, wiping the tears from Naoyuki's cheeks hating that the boy had to feel like this even for a second.

Nao smiled and with a sniffle he rubbed at his eyes. "Thanks Sasuke," He said.

Sasuke nodded in response before he moved to stand, urging Nao to stand with him. "Want to learn a new Jutsu?" he asked.

"Really? Right now?" Naoyuki said as he sniffed one last time.

"Yes. It's been passed down through the Uchiha clan from generation to generation. These are the hand seals," He said as he faced Naoyuki and began to take him through the hand seals: snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, and tiger. He explained how you had to move the chakra between your mouth and your chest, hold and then breathe it out. He went over it until Nao was sure he understood. "I can't show you the full result, you're going to have to imagine a mass larger than your house," He said before he performed the hand seals and let out a ball of fire hardly bigger than his head, but he maintained it.

Naoyuki watched with wide eyes when Sasuke finally stood back and grabbing the hem of Sasuke's shirt he tugged, "It can really get bigger than the house?" he asked in amazement.

"Give it a try," Sasuke said, his hand resting on Nao's back as he leaned over his fingers brushed over the clan symbol before he spoke again. "The Uchiha emblem is the fan which controls the fire," He said remembering everything his father ever told him.

Naoyuki watched Sasuke for a long moment before he stepped forward; taking a deep breath he began to move through the technique. Naoyuki leaned forward and breathed out and a mass of flame took shape, three times larger than the one Sasuke had demonstrated and a million times better than Sasuke's very first attempt. When he stepped back he stared up at Sasuke, eyes wide as if looking for a verdict.

Sasuke leaned down and placing his hands on Nao's cheeks checking for damage. "You did well," he offered, and allowed him a brief moment to push Nao's hair up and out of his face.

"I did?" Nao grinned and when Sasuke nodded Naoyuki leaned forward and embraced Sasuke's neck. "Thanks Sasuke," He said.

"Be careful with it," He murmured and he stood as Naoyuki agreed. He decided that he would tell the boy how this technique determined when you became a man when it actually happened. He didn't want the boy at six to work himself ragged like he had at eight. "You think we should get back?" He asked.

Nao blinked and he rubbed his neck, "Oh, maybe. Let's go!" He said as he ran toward Kakashi who had been sitting on the hill reading a book. He could hear Naoyuki's laughter, asking if the older man had seen what he did. He was proud of his son.

* * *

"Come on Shika, it won't take long to get there and back! I'm all restless," Naruto huffed as he pulled at Shikamaru's hair only to have his hand lazily swatted away

"No Naruto, I'm comfortable! Go by yourself," the man sighed and closed his eyes.

Shikamaru hadn't moved since Sasuke and Naoyuki had taken off. It was on that thought that he heard Naoyuki's light footsteps running toward him, but it was too late to stop him before he slammed into Naruto's back. "Come on, you made me play shogi all afternoon," Naruto pouted.

"I don't want to talk about that, I'm still not going with you," Shikamaru grumbled.

Naruto stuck his tongue out before he looked up and he smiled dumbly, "Where did you get off to?" he asked.

"Sasuke just taught me something, I'll show you when it's done okay?" Naoyuki grinned.

"You're going to make me wait?" Naruto said with a frown and sighed dramatically, "Okay, okay I can be patient," There was a hum of laughter that followed. "Shut up, you don't know!"

"We should get going," Kakashi said as he urged Iruka to stand, "I have to get my little sensei ho—"

"—just go! I don't want to know!" Naruto had firmly reached behind him and covered Nao's ears.

"Going, going!" Kakashi said with a look of innocence on his face as he ducked out the door with Iruka in tow.

Naruto finally took his hands away from Nao and smiled. "That probably means it's time for bed, hm?"

"I guess," Naoyuki mumbled as he looked over his shoulder with a sigh.

"I'll put him to bed," Shikamaru said as he picked himself off the deck.

"Thanks Shika," Naruto was sure he saw Sasuke roll his eyes but he decided to ignore him.

"Night Sasuke," Naoyuki said with a small wave before he was ushered inside.

"Good night," Sasuke murmured then it was silent and Naruto decided to step down into the garden.

"So, where did you two get off to?" Naruto said, his hands slipping into his pockets.

"Not far," Sasuke said and Naruto heard the other man's footsteps follow him into the garden he and Naoyuki had brought to life.

"Why, out of everyone did you have to pick Nara? What could you possibly see in that useless excuse of a man?" Naruto tensed as he heard the words pour from Sasuke's mouth and he turned to look at him, feeling the anger bubble up inside.

"Shikamaru has saved hundreds of lives with his brilliance, what have you done? Why the hell would you care for that matter? You made it very clear you didn't want me," Naruto said with a growl. "I think you gave up any right to care about who I'm with a long time ago."

"What? So it's perfectly okay for you to ask who the hell I've been sleeping with, but I can't say anything? Here's what I think, he can't handle you," Sasuke said.

Naruto had hardly any time to register anything before he felt Sasuke's height looming over him. He glared at the man; the height difference couldn't be more than an inch. That's what it felt like until the raven was in his space like this. "He's good for us. I know he loves Naoyuki and he's sensible enough to keep me from doing stupid shit like chasing after your dumb ass. Have you just been waiting for a chance to get me alone to do this? Why now, why at my own house?" he said, pushing Sasuke back but the man just pushed into his space even more. He couldn't tell Sasuke that Shikamaru knew exactly how it was to have parents. How can you be a parent when you never had any? When you had never been around a baby before or knew what families were supposed to do? Shikamaru walked him through everything, even when they weren't together.

"Your home? Last I recalled this house belonged to me," Sasuke growled.

"I think you're going to have to let that go Sasuke, you didn't want to be here."

"And I don't want him in it! I don't want him here putting my son to bed," the raven said.

"Maybe I don't want you in it either!" Naruto watched him as he took another step back, thankful when Sasuke didn't step with him, because when he was nearby all Naruto could wonder why there wasn't mist in the garden. Even when he was angry, that's all he could think.

"Who are you trying to fool?" Sasuke said stepping forward until they were chest to chest. "I know you feel this too," he said, his pale fist curling into the swirl on Naruto's shirt. "This madness when I'm near you, it's the exact reason I failed to forget you. Do you know what I did when I was out there Naruto?"

"Assassinated various shinobi for their bounty?" Naruto said, trying to keep his face neutral. It was near impossible with Sasuke's scent all around him. "What? Did you think I never heard about what you had been doing?"

"Cute, Naruto," Sasuke said, his fist clutching tighter. "I thought about you, every damned day. Why do you have to make everything so complicated? I was perfectly fine, I knew what I wanted in life and then you showed up at the lair with your naïve dreams and smelling like citrus. I don't know what you did," He growled.

"I make things complicated? I don't think so. Damn it Sasuke, you can't be mad at me because you told me to leave you alone, that's mental," Naruto said, ignoring that maybe they had fallen in love together at the same moment. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist, his eyes not breaking contact as he tried to pry the fingers from his shirt. Sasuke looked absolutely feral and as they stared one another down Naruto swore he could see a flicker of red in Sasuke's eyes, just for a moment.

"It's not that difficult, leave him," Sasuke said, as if there was to be no negotiating.

"I care about him," Naruto said, his nails digging angry red crescents into Sasuke's wrist.

"But you love me," The lips that sealed over Naruto's weren't aggressive; their teeth didn't meet in anger or resentment. This was different, it was tender in a way that they had never been, in a way that froze Naruto beyond thought, in a way that coaxed his body to relax and fall into every ideal Sasuke seemed to want. It was passionate in a way that distracted.

Naruto's sense came back to him a moment later, laying a dark hand on Sasuke's chest he kept the raven from following his lips as he pulled back. "Stop," he wondered if his voice sounded as dry as his throat felt.

"You feel it too," Sasuke murmured deep in his voice as he ducked his head to catch Naruto's lips again only to be stopped by the blonde's hand over his lips.

"No, Sasuke," Naruto said, his eyes were half lidded and his head tipped to the side and he could feel the confusion storming inside of him. "We want different things Sasuke, it's too late," He murmured as he successfully stepped away from the raven.

"It's not, and you know it," Sasuke said and Naruto could see the man's jaw tense.

"We're not fighting about this now, not when my so—"

"—our son,"

"We're not talking about it now!" Naruto said.

"Then when are we going to talk about it Naruto? When's a convenient time for you?" Sasuke had begun to pace and Naruto saw the red flicker again before the man finally seemed to relax, but it was only for a moment. "Fine, if you can't handle this, then I think it's high time you tell me why you kept our son from me."

"Sasuke…You forced me out of your life and made it very clear you never wanted to see me again," Naruto had decided that looking at the lilies Naoyuki had insisted they plant only two weeks ago.

"No, that's not how this works. I know you can be a moron, but you know better than that," Sasuke said, his pale fingers pushing through his hair as his foot made an audible scrape on the ground as he paced.

"Why didn't you come back?" Naruto said, not backing down. "Everything was righted but you were counting the seconds before you could abandon us again."

Sasuke paused right in front of the blonde and stared him right in the eye. "Naruto, could you fairly ask me to stay any more than I could ask you to leave? I couldn't do that to you; I couldn't rob you of this place any more than I could live here and be tempted to bring the walls down around us, so I left."

Naruto was stunned into near silence. He watched Sasuke's expression change from something angry into something regretful. He had never thought of it like that before. Was it the same thing? Naruto didn't know. "I—"

"—could you ask me to come back to a place that took my family away, the place that had them murdered? The place that asked my brother to choose between the village he loved and the family that loved him? The place that left me with nothing?"

"That's just the thing isn't it?" Naruto said softly, his fingers furling at his sides. He could hear a brief patter of rain and out of the corner of his eye he saw leaves dipping with the weight of sporadic raindrops. "You never tried to have anything. You talk about wanting to rebuild your clan but here we are seven years after the end and where's the evidence? It might be Naoyuki now, but that wasn't because you tried. You sat there and let your anger fester, you stood here and instead of seeing the people who cared about you, instead of seeing me you chose to live a life by yourself. You chose to be alone, and still expected people to feel sorry for you."

"I never asked for anyone's pity," Sasuke said, sounding angry.

"You never had it! You couldn't stop for a moment to think that Konoha isn't what it was. It's not the same place that murdered your family, it's not the same place that hates or ostracizes people without reason. It's what we're making it, and instead of seeing that and trying to do something, you gave up. You have a family Sasuke, you're not the Uchiha legacy anymore, and you haven't been for a long time. No, their legacy is sleeping inside that house and he'll never lead it down a path of hatred and revenge," Naruto said, pointing at the house. He could feel exhaustion settling in his limbs. "I'm not the one who makes things complicated Sasuke."

"Why didn't you tell me about him," Sasuke's jaw was tense again, but Naruto could see the anguish under his angry façade.

"I'm done talking about this Sasu—"

"I answered your question! You owe me this," Sasuke yelled. It was so uncommon, Naruto was used to the eerily calm Sasuke, the one that never broke, the one that didn't plead at his feet, the one that didn't apologize.

"I don't owe you anything! Naoyuki needed something stable in his life, someone who wasn't going to leave him for fickle reasons."

"Do you think you could have kept me away if I knew? Do you honestly think I would have left? I'm doing everything you're asking me to Naruto because I want to be here in spite of everything else. You know me better than that," Sasuke said.

"That's not what I reca—"

"Your argument has no legs to stand on Naruto. You never give up, so why didn't you even try to tell me?" Sasuke stepped closer.

"Wha—"

"No, Naruto, now. I just had to sit there and watch my son tell me he believed for years that I didn't want him. Do you know how heartbroken he looked? You owe me an answer, so just tell me!" Sasuke's hands were wrapped tightly around Naruto's shoulders and Naruto froze. He could see the Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes as plainly as he could feel the rain now steadily falling. He could see it the same way it was clear that the moonlight was all that lit their argument.

"You tried to kill us…" Naruto said, he felt just as vulnerable as he had that night. It was a brand of fright he had never experienced before. Naruto knew who he was, he was unrelenting, he was fiercely protective of those he loved, he was determined and ambitious, he did everything in his power to keep people happy, and he never went back on his word. His hand wandered up to his shoulder and he could feel the blade tearing his flesh the same way the fear tore at his insides. His will to protect his child was enough for Naruto revaluate any naïve notions of who he was and of telling Sasuke…he had been scared, that's really all it amounted to.

Sasuke stood there; his eyes were obsidian once more. They were wide and terrified, his hands had let go of Naruto and were left quivering in the air as he shook his head. "No…that's impossible."

"I tried, but you wouldn't listen," Naruto whispered, as he watched Sasuke. He could see the recognition washing over the man's face at what had gone on the night Sasuke had forced his blade through his shoulder. "They arrived in time to save us," he whispered, "in time to ward off infection."

"Stop…" Sasuke said, his voice sounding weak as he took two more steps back, his hands covering his face. His body quaked and he shook his head, "I don't want to hear this," He said. "I have…I have to leave,"

Naruto watched as Sasuke gracelessly stalked toward the house and once he was inside Naruto slid down to the ground and rubbed at his eyes, ignoring how he felt broken all over again.

* * *

"You should have seen it Shika," Naoyuki said with a grin as he settled into his bed.

"What's this 'it' you're talking about?" Shikamaru said as he pulled the covers over the child.

"He breathed out fire like it was nothing! I mean…it was small because of, well, you know, but it was so cool!" Nao said as he made wide gestures with his hands, indicating the fire. "He showed me how to do it, he showed me and told me that the Uchiha fan was what controls it."

"Did you do it?" Shikamaru asked, allowing his lip to quirk with amusement. He pushed Naoyuki's hair back trying to calm him down. The boy could get so hyper if one wasn't careful to provide a neutral energy.

"Yes, it was amazing. It was really hot on my face, but I didn't care. Mine was even bigger than Sasuke's."

"It sounds like you had a great time when you guys wandered off," Shikamaru said. He could feel something growing in his stomach, the feeling that he was interrupting something. He wasn't sure he wanted to deal with it.

"It was the best," Naoyuki said as he shifted onto his side, looking up at Shikamaru. It was then that Shikamaru understood exactly what that feeling was and no matter how he felt, it was something that had to be addressed immediately.

"You'll have to show me some time okay? But right now you need to sleep," Shikamaru said.

"Okay, night Shika," Nao said as he settled his head on his pillow and waved just over the fold of his blanket.

"Sleep well," Shikamaru said as he stood and headed back down the hallway.

"Do you think it's wise to leave them out there on their own?"

"When did you get here?" Shikamaru said as he stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"A few minutes ago," Neji said, not taking his eyes from the scene outside. "They go off on their own a lot."

"Naruto's not like that," Shikamaru said rolling his eyes even though he knew exactly what Neji was talking about. "You know he's not like that."

"I just meant that they might kill each other," Neji said. "Well…Sasuke might try, I don't think he'd get far into that venture."

Shikamaru could sense the lie immediately. "No, I don't imagine he'd get far at all. Not with all the stipulations," he said. He didn't get to say anymore before he saw the pair lock lips. He frowned and he took a step back, lifting his hands from his pockets he began to crack his knuckles and turned away, but not before he saw Naruto push the other man away.

"Oh, maybe I did mean the other thing," Neji said. "Think I should go out there?"

"It's raining," Shikamaru said again as he started to aimlessly walk to the corner of the room, just so he didn't have to watch. "Let them sort it out themselves, I don't feel like getting involved."

"I'd think you're involved whether you like it or not," Neji didn't move.

"Well then I don't feel like dealing with it."

"You can't hold off forever. I know you're far too observant to miss what's going on, unlike them. I don't think they know we're here," he mused.

"Great, so we know my involvement, I fail to see yours. Let them sort it out," Shikamaru said.

"I'm trying to look out for you, but fine. I'll stay out of it," Neji said calmly.

Shikamaru didn't feel like chatting much afterwards. Normally the silence was peaceful but he found that he couldn't relax. He could hear them outside, he couldn't make out anything they were saying but he could sense the tone. What Shikamaru supposed was only a few minutes in reality took forever internally before Sasuke stormed through the house so distraught with whatever emotion he was feeling to notice anyone else. Neji and he shared a brief look before the other man took off after Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't move a muscle. His eyes stayed fixed on the door, the air was damp around him and he wondered if Naruto had run off, if maybe he was at the Hokage monument. The blonde had tried everything to get him to accompany him all that way earlier. He briefly wondered if he had gone with Naruto, maybe Iruka would have offered to put Naoyuki to bed and Neji would have collected Sasuke long before they got back. Perhaps they'd walk lazily back home and spend the evening doing nothing together and maybe they'd fall into bed afterward. The scenarios didn't seem plausible anymore, not when Shikamaru found himself caught in the middle of a family that couldn't find harmony. He was caught in the middle of a dynamic that had been putting a strain on his relationship with Naruto for months.

The rain had long stopped before Naruto stepped in the house, soaking wet. Shikamaru sighed and he stood, recalling all the signs that screamed that Naruto and Sasuke had a fight. It was the same state of awareness (or lack of) that Naruto had expressed whenever he came back from visiting Sasuke in his cell. "Come on," Shikamaru murmured placing his hand on the small of Naruto's back.

"Oh…Shikamaru, have you been there long?" Naruto asked, his eyes refocusing to look at him, but his expression didn't change. "Stupid rain, huh?" Naruto murmured and Shikamaru recognized the excuse for the tear tracks on Naruto's face immediately.

"Not long, someone was too excited to sleep," he lied as he guided the blonde down the hall.

"Oh," was all that Naruto said.

Shikamaru opened the linen closet, grabbed a towel and brought Naruto into his spacious bedroom that was under-decorated in comparison to the rest of the house. He began to dry the other man, peeling the wet clothes off and urging him into something dry to sleep in. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?" Naruto didn't meet his gaze.

"I think we need to talk," Shikamaru said quietly. He watched Naruto, trying to gauge his reaction, but all the blonde did was bite the inside of his cheek.

"Is it important or can it wait?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru was about to insist when he felt Naruto lean into him, forehead resting against his chest and he swallowed his words. "No…it can wait," he lied once more as he reached down, lacing their fingers together loosely.

"Good, I'm very tired," Naruto said with a heavy sigh.

When Naruto didn't move an inch Shikamaru rested his head against the blonde head of hair and focused on the warm breath at his chest, taking comfort in the gentle rhythm. "Then let's sleep," He said softly and guided Naruto toward his bed.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed quietly and followed without hesitation.

It was moments before they both rested beneath the covers. Naruto rested his head against Shikamaru's shoulder and was sleeping deeply within moments, his breath completely even.

Shikamaru didn't sleep that night.

**TBC…**

Oh my, that certainly felt like a lot.

Thanks to those who have reviewed, faved, and followed. You keep me writing.  
I hope you can spare a moment to let me know what you think~

KoriC


	7. Chapter 6

**Warnings:** Slash/Yaoi, Sexual Themes, Angst, H/C, Language, Alternating POV, Possible spoilers until chapter 613 (Darn you Kishi :c )

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own, and I'm still writing for entertainment and not for profit.

_—"If I could say what you'd like to hear_  
_ I'd whisper in your ear it's only temporary"_

_ "But for now can we just both pretend to sleep_  
_ Sometimes the one you want is not the one you need"_

—Marianas Trench

Chapter 6

Naruto's eyes opened slowly and the first thing he saw was the view outside of his window. The sun was shining through the leaves of the tree outside and it created a soft soothing glow around his room. He was face down on the wrong side of the bed and with a soft groan he lifted his head off the pillow that smelled a decent amount like Shikamaru. "Damn it!" he cursed and snapped his head to look at the alarm clock where sure enough it read that it was 9:30 AM. He had overslept. He was about to gather himself out of bed when he felt another's weight dip the mattress and he turned his head to see Shikamaru fully dressed.

"I thought you needed your rest," Shikamaru said, his expression betraying nothing but boredom as he crawled over and laid on his stomach, one arm slinging across Naruto's back urging the blonde too to lie down.

"And Naoyuki?" Naruto said, immediately feeding off of Shikamaru's calm energy.

"Fed and in class," Shikamaru assured him.

"Thank you, you didn't have to," Naruto murmured softly, watching the brunette with the one eye that peeked up over the pillow he was hugging. He was slowly recalling the night before and it was making his mood heavy once more. People always described their relationship as simple and lazy, Sakura had always found it borderline adorable the way they did things. It really was anything but. When things did work out between them, Naruto figured they pretended that everything was okay, that everything was just that simple because neither of them wanted to deal with the problems. They simply held on and hoped that the illusion was enough. They had broken up a total of six times over the past few years. Ever since Naoyuki had been old enough to understand and know what he wanted, he had thoroughly decided he wanted no part of Shikamaru. Everyone always said it was probably because Naoyuki didn't want Naruto's focus split, Naruto wasn't sure it was that simple. He had a suspicion that Naoyuki wanted his real family. Even so, they kept finding their way back to one another. They had decided the last time that they would only try if Naoyuki was okay with it, Naruto couldn't ask his son to accept someone he didn't trust and he couldn't ask Shikamaru to work so hard on a relationship that had only ever been a gamble. Things changed when the brunette had saved his son, everything seemed to click into place and Naoyuki seemed to understand that Family wasn't only something written into your blood. Something had come along with the incident though. Naoyuki changed when he had been brought home, he was frightened of several things but the biggest complication beyond trust was how much a lack of control frightened him. It was the reason he had been so angry that Naruto hadn't informed him of the invitation he extended to Sasuke. If a dinner invitation had the power to unhinge his son, Naruto truly feared what Shikamaru's desired conversation was going to unleash.

"You had a long day yesterday, all I did was sit around and do nothing," Shikamaru said with a shrug.

"Every day is a long day," Naruto mumbled with a sigh and he lazily rolled over onto his back, his leg hooking over top of one of Shikamaru's, purposely invading the brunette's space.

"That's what happens when your actions catch up with you."

Naruto stared up at the ceiling and he could feel the pace of Shikamaru's breath where his shoulder pressed against the brunette's ribs. "Oh…so that's how we're going to start the fight?" he was sure he should be offended but he was less than invested.

"Is that what we're doing? Usually a fight consists of you yelling, so whenever you're ready," Shikamaru said, but only silence followed.

Naruto's eyes didn't leave a small speck he found on the ceiling, his head tilted and he let out a heavy breath. Shikamaru was right. He knew he was before the man even said anything, all of their problems, all of their issues revolved around him running away from Sasuke. "It would make what comes next easier," he said after some time had passed.

"What's next?"

"The part where you leave me," He murmured quietly.

"Nice of you to let me know what I'm going to do," Shikamaru turned his head and Naruto did as well.

"You saw what happened last night...I can tell. Most people tense up when they lie, you release tension in your shoulders when you do," Naruto said, he could feel the sting of tears behind his eyes. It seemed like all he was doing was crying and he hated the buildup more than the actual act. "Plus you always get really nice right before you leave me…like your pre-taking care of me or something. I'm surprised you didn't make me breakfast," He mumbled. He felt sad that he knew the signs.

"I was about to start when I heard you moving around…" Shikamaru said as he shifted his weight onto his side. He reached over to push Naruto's hair back and out of his eyes a moment. "I think I can differentiate between who kissed who, unlike Ino. You wouldn't do that to me," Shikamaru said, coaxing a pitiful laugh from Naruto.

"Yeah, Sai's a little too socially dense to notice when someone's flirting," he said.

"No one blames you, you know? Were there better ways around the situation? Maybe, but you did what you thought was best. Naoyuki's a wonderful young man, that didn't come from nowhere, that came from you."

"I hurt him though…I hurt a lot of people," Naruto admitted.

"I don't know all the details," Shikamaru trailed off.

"What you mean is you can't help me without knowing? Sasuke didn't let me tell him anything…we had a fight and I never tried again," Naruto said.

"Define fight,"

"You know the definition perfectly fine," he mumbled.

"Was it verbal?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he really didn't. He knew what Sasuke did was wrong, but despite the fact that he might be involved with Shikamaru didn't give the man rights to that insight. He doubted Sasuke wanted to know what he had done that night, let alone anyone else.

"I think you and Sasuke need to sort things out…with your words," Shikamaru said and briefly paused as he thought, "your well informed, rational, big boy words."

"Who knows when that will be," Naruto murmured. He had a hunch that Sasuke was either going to be back on his door step by the end of the day, or he wouldn't hear from him for a week or so. It might give Naruto a little time to figure out how to do things. He had been trying to forgive Sasuke for years, maybe talking would do him some good.

"It's never too late to fix things," it was a generalization but Naruto appreciated it.

"Except us," Naruto murmured.

Naruto's eyes were back on the ceiling before he felt Shikamaru's warm hand urge his head to the side and his eyes slid shut in anticipation. Shikamaru's kisses were always slow and tender. There was a sense of security in the lack of unpredictability. Some might think it to be boring but Naruto find it to be a wonderful resting point in the middle of his chaotic life. "You're still not yelling at me," Shikamaru murmured, their lips brushing together with every word spoken.

Naruto's eyes opened and locked on Sasuke's and on the tail of a heavy breath he said, "I love you…"

There was a long pause between the pair and Naruto could see the confliction in Shikamaru's eyes. He sighed at the bittersweet feeling that ripped through him as Shikamaru's long fingers ran through his hair again. "You love him more…"

"People need to stop telling me how I feel," Naruto said into the second kiss Shikamaru pressed to his lips and he found himself needing to face the brunette, needing to hold onto the other man. His feelings for Sasuke were complicated, but he did know one thing. He didn't trust him, and he didn't know if that could be repaired. Two nights together were not basis to disrupt the entire life he tried to build for him and his son. It didn't matter how compelling the thought of being together was.

"Am I wrong?" he heard Shikamaru say before those lips pressed against his throat.

"I dunno…I beat you at your precious game, anything could happen," Naruto said, swallowing the lump in his throat trying to ignore the fact that Shikamaru might not feel the same about him. He allowed his hands to slip down Shikamaru's back to slip under the hem of his shirt.

"Hm, maybe…trust you to keep rubbing your victory in my face," Shikamaru said, but despite his words he continued to tease at the honey flesh.

"Stop analyzing. I can hear you thinking," Naruto hooked his leg with Shikamaru's and rolled until he was straddling the other man. Shikamaru hadn't known all the information, Naruto could tell his own admission was causing some conflict. His hands slid up the other man's defined arms to clasp their hands together. He had always loved his hands.

"What am I thinking then?" he asked.

Naruto felt the hands close around his, and the feel was familiar and soothing. Tipping his head on an angle he leaned down. "You're thinking about—" their lips met in relaxed sensuality, "—how you want to be inside of me," his voice rasped and he could feel the shiver that coursed through the frame beneath him. There was silence between them, and with a gentle quirk of Shikamaru's lip Naruto suddenly felt his back against the mattress again with Shikamaru's solid weight resting on top of him. It was a rare occurrence that Shikamaru ever took charge, one that Naruto loved.

"Not exactly," he said. Naruto's confusion only lasted the moment it took for the brunette to duck down to press his lips to the blonde's ear. "I'm thinking about how much I love you," He whispered as his hand slipped down Naruto's side to rest on his hip bone.

Naruto's lips parted as he heard the admission. He turned his head and effectively caught Shikamaru's lips, their kiss was slow and passionate and Naruto couldn't help but lament at their sense of timing. After gathering himself he reached up and caught Shikamaru's hair tie. He slowly drew it out until each strand pooled over the man's shoulders. "We're brilliant," Naruto muttered, so brilliant for figuring their relationship in the end.

"Absolutely astute," Shikamaru said absent mindedly as he sat back, pulling his black shirt over his head before making quick work on the last of their clothes.

"You're using weird words again," Naruto mumbled, shivering as he felt their flesh come together with no barriers. He felt a little more comfortable now, romantic just wasn't them.

"Absolutely incontinent," Shikamaru kissed into the blonde's collarbone and Naruto let out a soft lighthearted laugh that morphed into a strangled groan when Shikamaru's hand began to palm his member, urging it to life.

Naruto hooked his ankles around Shikamaru, drawing him impossibly close. Grinding up against the other man he let out a low growl, and was pleased when Shikamaru similarly groaned. He didn't want to wait. Anywhere that wasn't pressed up against the other man, panting beneath him, over him, crying out in pleasure, was too far away.

"Impatient…" Shikamaru's teeth slowly dragged across the honey column, careful not to mark the man, but he was playing a dangerous game on the boundary.

"And you're dawdling…" Naruto muttered breathily. He kept Shikamaru close, enjoying the delicious friction between them.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, but Naruto could hear the smile on his lips as he spoke. Shikamaru's hands on his thighs were enough to make Naruto shiver in anticipation. The brunette untangled the dark legs from his hips, spread them, and allowed his hands to linger on the back of the blonde's thighs. His fingers ghosted over the soft flesh behind his knee, flicking at it gently.

"Hgn, tickles," Naruto started, with a twitch of his leg before catching Shikamaru's wrist. "Please," He murmured, not remembering the last time he had felt this sense of urgency. He watched the brunette as his solid frame leaned forward, hovering over top of him. He bit his inner lip and nearly groaned in frustration as Shikamaru smirked down at him. His eyes roamed over the other man's features, he was so consumed with the tug of the man's thin lip, the arch of his elegant brow, and his dark eyes that the hand closing around his member came as a surprise. The blonde moaned deep in his throat as the other man began to stroke him, effectively distracted him from Shikamaru's free hand slipping from his grasp.

The next thing he felt was Shikamaru's slick member nudging at his entrance. His body quaked in response and he could no sooner stop the muffled keen as Shikamaru pressed inside than he could refrain from dragging the other man down, forcing their lips to lock in a kiss drunk with passion. The quick loss of breath he suffered from having Shikamaru's full weight crash down on him didn't even register until Shikamaru's hand began to pet through his hair. Naruto absentmindedly classified it as Shikamaru's attempt to calm him down.

When Naruto finally relaxed his hold on the other man Shikamaru gathered his weight on his elbow before he urged his hips into motion. The pleasure slowly began building between them until Naruto's throaty cries echoed down the hallways through the open door. Shikamaru's small grunts and groans sounded nowhere but Naruto's ears, and somewhere in the shroud of desire Naruto was able to admire that look of eyes closed concentration on Shikamaru's face. His blue eyes were half lidded as Shikamaru found that spot inside of him he shivered and let out a moan. His hands slid down the brunette's sides, feeling the muscles beneath his fingers as he dragged his blunt nails to Shikamaru's hip bone gripping tightly. "Kiss me," He whispered.

Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open in a dazed expression and Naruto could see desire that matched what he felt inside. Each movement was slow, Shikamaru leaning forward with gentle rocking of his hips, and the barest brush of their lips. Naruto could feel the steady build between them, and the steady crescendo of his breathing and as they rocked one another to euphoria it was no matter if Naruto's hands were on Shikamaru's hips, at his back, or on his arms. He refused to let go. Trailing Shikamaru's breathy groan, Naruto keened as they met their end. The blonde soon found himself with Shikamaru's dead weight on top of him.

"Ow," Shikamaru muttered his breath heavy as he reached up to dislodge Naruto's fingers.

"Sorry," Naruto panted, relaxing his hold finally feeling his body begin to wind down. He trailed them up Shikamaru's arm and into his hair, shifting his weight until he was comfortable. He couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh when he felt Shikamaru's lips mouth along his throat.

"S'fine, I'll live," Shikamaru mumbled and he shifted until he was lying on his side. He was still pressed against Naruto, his arm slung over the blonde's stomach.

"Mnnn…I should get up," Naruto said and he tried to roll toward the edge of the bed but was immediately stopped by Shikamaru's tightening arm around his waist.

"Let's just stay here all day," Shikamaru said, burying his face into Naruto's collar bone.

Naruto huffed as he felt himself incapable of moving and he slung an arm over top of Shikamaru's. "Shika, I have to work. I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakthrough."

"You've been on that verge for over six months," came the muffled reply.

"Yeah, well, life happened and I haven't been able to find time to keep up with everything."

"I don't know why you can't just read them in bed."

Naruto stared up at the ceiling and found that same speck from before. His lip twitched and his fingers began to draw small patterns on the back of the brunette's hands. "Fine, but at least clean up you lazy bum," he swatted at Shikamaru's arm and was finally able to dislodge himself.

"I'll think about it," Shikamaru simply flopped over onto his back, his arm folding under his head casually.

Naruto snorted as he stretched, "Of course you will, you think about a lot of things,"

"Mnn," Shikamaru didn't even have enough will power to answer properly.

Naruto mumbled as he made his way from the room, returning some ten minutes later obviously cleaned up and with a loose pair of pants on and a few scrolls in his hands. "Did you even move?"

"I didn't feel like it…but I did," Shikamaru promised, not looking up from where he now rested on his stomach.

Naruto smiled and he settled back down onto the bed unsurprised when Shikamaru's arm slung over his midsection again. "I'm proud of you," Naruto muttered, catching the man's wrist and he lifted it to press his lips against Shikamaru's knuckles. "Now hush," he smiled and unravelled a scroll.

"Mmk," Shikamaru's eyes didn't open for a second, he seemed completely content to have Naruto's warmth against his side. They sat like that for a couple of hours and Naruto could tell that Shikamaru was drifting in and out of sleep. Eventually Shikamaru's arm tightened around his waist again, "Nope," he mumbled.

"Nope what?" Naruto asked, not looking away from the third scroll he had brought with him. He let out an undignified noise of surprise when Shikamaru dragged him farther into the middle of the bed and he was forced to abandon the scroll.

"Nope, you can work on saving the Hyuuga family tomorrow, I need you right here," he mumbled, not allowing Naruto's struggles to disrupt his hold.

"That's unusually selfish of you," Naruto muttered. He had been trying to find a way to safely remove the seal from the branch family for years, but all he had done was uncover the original seals that it was derived from and was forced to even come up with an adaptation of the seal due to the council's urging. He could feel he was getting close to the solution though.

"Mhmm," was the only answer Naruto received before Shikamaru shifted until he was effectively spooned against Naruto's back, "Shh, go to sleep," Shikamaru reached a hand up and lazily covered Naruto's eyes, urging Naruto to laugh.

"You're more unusual than people give you credit for," Naruto said as he finally relaxed. He looked up at the clock and he sighed heavily. He could spare this time to be with Shikamaru. He closed his eyes and rested his hand over Shikamaru's arm once more, trying to ignore this bitter sweet feeling that they weren't forever and they were only trying to hold onto the illusion for a little bit longer.

* * *

Sasuke was a murderer and it was no surprise to him. He knew exactly what he had been before he had found his way back to Konoha. He had tried to keep to his morals as best he could when he initially turned his back on Konoha. He tried only to rob the life of the person who he thought had torn his life apart. It wasn't until Itachi's secrets had been unveiled that Sasuke's disposition on murder had changed. He had been completely willing to rob every person in this village of everything it had stolen from him. He hadn't cared that there were children and innocent members of the community here, or maybe he did his best not to think of it? Now that he thought back on it he wasn't so sure his heartlessness was concrete. He tried not to picture himself as a child, not understanding as he uncovered the lifeless bodies of people he had loved. He desperately tried not to see himself in the children he'd potentially be killing. If he likened the innocent children of Konoha to himself he would have lost his resolve, so he chose not to think of it.

It hadn't mattered though. His resolve had been completely broken due to whatever he had felt for Naruto. Whatever it was that had him so captivated had been enough to sway his decision. He couldn't remember the exact words Naruto had uttered to him in the final battle. Surely these feelings hadn't been the only deciding factor in his sudden change of heart? Sasuke wasn't sure of that either. Naruto had spoken of how they knew one another; how Naruto knew at his core that Sasuke was a better person than he was acting like. Naruto had mentioned how he had believed in him, and how there had never been a moment of doubt in his mind that Sasuke would make the right decision in the end, even if it would bring about his and Naruto's destruction. Sasuke had never had any shortage of people believing in him, no shortage in people knowing that he was destined for greatness. It was that day he discovered that there was only one existing opinion that mattered to him and he found that he was so tired. He was tired of the constant hatred that burned through his veins, he was tired of opposing Naruto's ideals and he wondered if, maybe, Naruto was going to be the one to save him. He wanted everything to end, and though he knew he had cut his decision close, when it seemed like their world would be lost on the trails of his clan's reign he decided that the world would continue on the trails of the Uchiha name instead. No, the world would continue to exist because of the names Uzumaki and Uchiha.

He had tried to forget the other man because of something he wasn't sure he could comprehend anymore. When he had surrendered, and aided the blonde in the war he had decided he never wanted to hurt Naruto again. He could see in the blonde's expressions just how much damage he had done. When he was faced with the option of returning to Konoha with Naruto, or running away again he had to choose the lesser of two evils. He could return to Konoha with the other man and forever be tempted to destroy the place of his birth, or he could leave and keep everything Naruto cherished safe. He would never forgive himself if it turned out he wasn't as good as Naruto thought he was. So he left, and convinced himself this would hurt Naruto less than if he eventually gave into temptation. He convinced himself that he needed to rebuild his clan and that Naruto couldn't give him that. He never imagined he could be wrong in that.

Naruto had always been unexpected, it was clear that the blonde's unpredictability knew no bounds. So Sasuke found himself in his apartment, fresh from what had occurred the night before. He sat beside his bed with his head hung low and his arms resting limply on his propped knees. He had only ever killed men who were evil, the ones who took innocent lives. It was the only justification he had in the murders he committed for money. The potential murdering of his own unborn son was never something he considered possible. When Neji had managed to drag him back to the apartment he had pitifully crawled to the washroom and released the contents of his stomach.

He had never hated what he had grown up to be more than he had now. He couldn't cope with it, so he did everything in his power to turn off his emotions because it hurt too much to think he could have taken the life of someone he loved more than anything. It hurt too much to think that he had willingly raised his hand to Naruto in that fashion…all to get a point across.

He spent all week more or less seated there, at the foot of his bed. He only moved from the general area when he absolutely needed to. It was seven days before his newly locked window began to rattle, and Naoyuki's muffled voice filtered through, Sasuke didn't move to let the boy in. He stayed seated, with his head bowed as tears slowly slid down his face.

His brother was right, he was very foolish.

* * *

"Naoyuki, where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Naruto asked in anger. He had leisurely strolled toward the Academy, his spirits high earlier that day. Naruto waited at the swing like he usually did and when Naoyuki didn't show in the first 10 minutes he went in search of him only to have Iruka tell him that Nao was the first one out of the classroom. Naruto had taken off to search for him, trying to remain level headed and not let his panic overcome him.

"Nowhere," Naoyuki muttered, his hands stuffed in his pockets. It was only then that Naruto had seen Nao's eyes, glistening with unshed tears that only remained at bay out of stubbornness.

"What's wrong, Naoyuki?" Naruto asked. His brow furrowed and he took three whole steps and knelt in front of his son, brushing his hair back gently. He pressed a kiss just below a faded scar on the boy's temple and feared that once more he had been unable to protect Naoyuki. "What happened?"

"Nothing, dad!" Nao said angrily and tried to push Naruto away, but the blonde refused to budge.

"You don't have to tell me Naoyuki," Naruto said, feeling a heaviness crushing down on his shoulders. Nao was locking him out and was doing nothing to conceal that fact. "But if you don't, I won't be able to help," Naruto said running his fingers through his son's dark tresses.

Naoyuki was quiet as he glared off to the side. He reached his knuckles up to wipe roughly at his face, and watching his son over another moment was all it took for the boy's resolve to crumble. Nao's small arms wound around his neck and his chin rested on Naruto's shoulder. "He really is a jerk," he muttered.

Naruto's eyes widened as he glanced in the direction Nao had appeared from. Sasuke's apartment was in the same direction. He embraced his son and lifting him up he stood slowly to ensure his balance remained strong. "What did he do?" Naruto asked. No, it had been a week since their fight, but he still believed with his entire being that Sasuke wouldn't hurt Naoyuki. Had he been wrong to trust the man with their son?

"He won't see me. I know he's there, but he wouldn't let me in. I could see him, he didn't even move, like I wasn't worth his time. Like he doesn't want me," Naoyuki said, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Nao…" Naruto murmured and he embraced his son even tighter as he began to walk back home. "Naoyuki, he wants you very much. I promise," Naruto knew that much. "Sometimes, people just need a little space to themselves," he tried to salvage the bond between Sasuke and his son that Naoyuki believed was crumbling.

"No! There's no space between family," Naoyuki said, his fists gripping into Naruto's deep red over-shirt tight enough that the fabric almost squeaked in his grip.

Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the words. Naoyuki had never once called Sasuke father, or any derivative of the word. He had no doubt that Naoyuki would eventually see it that way, but even Naruto couldn't have imagined that they had grown so close in a few short months. "Naoyuki, everything will be okay," Naruto tried.

"He's not like us, is he dad?" Naoyuki asked quietly, his grip loosening on Naruto's shirt, but he didn't let go. "It's just us…we're in this together, like you said. Nothing will come between us…" he murmured.

Naruto felt a slight stinging behind his eyes. He remembered saying those words to Naoyuki when the boy had been convinced that Shikamaru was just trying to tear them apart. "He's trying, baby," Naruto murmured soothingly, petting down Nao's back. "It's been a long time since he's been in a family," he said as he walked up to the front door of their house. Upon opening the front door he saw a picture of Sasuke with his parents and brother. "He needs to figure out how to be in one again," Naruto said his gaze lingering on the photo, knowing that he personally needed to learn how to let Sasuke in as well.

"That's not good enough…" Naoyuki said softly. "He's the one that who came back uninvited. He can't…he can't just leave and not tell me!" Nao was angry again and trying to squirm out of Naruto's hold.

"Naoyuki, enough," Naruto murmured. He crouched and let Naoyuki down and before the boy could run off he gently urged the boy's chin up to look at him. "Sometimes things happen that we can't control, that doesn't mean that anybody loves you any less. Not me, not your aunts, uncles, grandfathers, and not Sasuke. Do you understand?" Naruto watched the confliction in Naoyuki's blue eyes and it almost broke his heart.

Naoyuki's arms wound around his neck again and the boy openly wept. "I hate this feeling," the words were muffled, but Naruto heard every word. He knew that Naoyuki was reliving the night of his abduction almost three years prior, when all control had been taken from him. He knew that in the face of Sasuke's unintentional rejection, Naoyuki was feeling powerless again.

"I know," Naruto murmured and simply held the boy until he fell asleep, unconsciously hiccupping in the aftermath of his tears. He carefully lifted the little raven and carried him to bed, took off the boy's sandals, and pressed a gentle kiss to his brow before leaving him be.

Naruto hated this feeling too.

* * *

Naruto had decided to let Naoyuki rest. In the short hours after school had let out he knew the boy had a very emotionally draining experience. He knew that the argument between Sasuke and himself had put distance between them again, but he thought Sasuke would alienate him and not their son. He could live with that, but with Sasuke blatantly ignoring Naoyuki. Well, Naruto couldn't stand for that. He dispersed a single clone and sent it off to Shikamaru's house.

He breathed in deeply and he made his way to his personal study. The study was the area he kept all his scrolls, the ones his father had left behind and others that Naruto had travelled to collect. He grabbed small book and took it with him to his own bedroom. When he had compiled the book into something worthwhile he wrapped it in a simple paper. He had taken care in wrapping it, just like Sakura had showed him on the eve of Naoyuki's first birthday. He bit the inside of his cheek and went to sit out on the deck. He observed their garden quietly, remembering the feel of Sasuke's lips on his, and then recalling the terror he felt with it. The terror that there was still something between them after all this time, the terror that he continued to feel when he began to think of 'what if?' scenarios. It hurt to think of a life where Naoyuki might not be with him, he needed to learn not to dwell on Sasuke's actions, because Naoyuki was with him now and that's all that mattered.

"You summoned me?" Shikamaru's voice sounded over his shoulder and Naruto jumped in surprise. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the man.

"Oh, Shika…yeah," He said softly and he picked himself up off the deck. "I need you to watch Nao for me…Sasuke and I have something to straighten out," he murmured. "He's sleeping," he explained.

"He was upset?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, I need to do some patchwork," Naruto offered a sad smile. Shikamaru seemed to recognize Naoyuki's behaviour and the fact that he never slept unless he had to, or he was upset.

"Take your time," Shikamaru said quietly.

"Thank you," Naruto said before he departed for Sasuke's apartment.

When he arrived he felt the anger building up inside of him. He had decided that he was going to be tactful, and talk about this like adults. He decided to keep his anger in check, but every intention he had vanished when Sasuke wouldn't open the door upon his knocking. "Sasuke! Open this door this instant, or I'm going to inform the council of what I saw in your eyes last week!" He threatened, he had seen the man's Sharingan, he was positive. His jaw was tense and he couldn't unwind even as he heard movement inside the apartment. It took a few moments but the door slowly opened. Naruto didn't give Sasuke time to say anything before he pushed inside, slamming the door shut behind him. He paced back and forth twice before he finally looked at Sasuke. "You look like shit you bastard," Naruto said. It was true. Sasuke's hair was an absolute mess and he had dark circles under his eyes that nearly resembled Itachi from what the blonde could remember.

"What do you want?" Sasuke's voice was quiet and held no emotion.

"You're an idiot! I told you he couldn't handle actions like this! I told you and you didn't listen! Are you capable of thinking about anyone else but you?" Naruto asked, his fingers fisted and his knuckles cracked three times under the pressure.

"I assure you that I have no idea what you're talking about. If you're going to yell, you can leave," Sasuke said and he moved to open the door.

Naruto growled audibly and he stalked forward, his hand laid flat on the door and he slammed it shut just as Sasuke had opened it a few inches. "The hell I'm going anywhere! Do you want to get to know your son?" he asked.

Sasuke frowned and stared at Naruto and the blonde could see something flickering inside the raven's obsidian eyes. "How can you ask that?"

Naruto could also sense the uncertainty in those words. He knew Sasuke was waging a war inside himself over the discovery of what he had done. He knew he probably should be a little more compassionate, but the memory of his son's sobs was enough to quash that. "I'm not the only one who feels the need to ask. You told me that you had to witness our son confess that he thought you didn't want him all these years. Yeah, well guess what? I just finished consoling him because he thinks you still don't want him!" Naruto said.

"I never said anything like tha—"

"—You didn't say anything at all! I told you Sasuke, you can't treat him with silence. I told you that it would only hurt him, and you went and did it anyway! You fight with me over the right to our son and the first thing you do when you get a little bad news is run away? This is exactly why you shouldn't be involved," Naruto said with a growl. It was a harsh statement, but everything Sasuke was doing was exactly what Naruto was hesitant about in the first place.

"Quit acting like it isn't a big deal. If you ran away from it, it obviously is you idiot," Sasuke said, Naruto could see the weariness in Sasuke's limbs but he wouldn't relent.

"I'm touched you feel so guilty, but damn it Sasuke. I'm trying to move past everything and give you another chance for the sake of our son and what's the first thing that you do? Sasuke, you need to make a decision on whether or not you want to live for our son, or if you want to live for yourself, because you can't do both," Naruto said. He was unimpressed when Sasuke's eyes glazed over in what Naruto assumed was inner reflection. "Well, clearly you need some time to think. Make up your mind fast though, because you might not be in so deep that it'll leave a lasting impression on him if you leave, but it will be very soon," Naruto muttered as he turned toward the door. Sasuke had forcibly torn his way back into Naruto's life, and into the life of his son. He was giving Sasuke this last chance to make the right decision, but the fact that Sasuke had to think about it was the biggest disappointment of Naruto's life.

"You have to know that this isn't easy Naruto," Sasuke said, but the blonde didn't face the other man in spite of the returning emotion he heard in the man's voice. "How do I look him in the eye knowing that as easily as I'm the reason he's alive, I could be the reason he's dead?" he whispered.

Naruto sighed heavily and reached behind him to grasp a wrapped square he had tucked inside his waist band. "Here," Naruto muttered. "I almost forgot," He said as he handed over the brightly coloured gift. His jaw shifted as he tried to think. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah?" Sasuke said quietly as he gently took the gift from Naruto.

"Figure it out, or stay away from us," Naruto said with a steeled expression before he made to leave. It was a severe ultimatum but Naruto couldn't put Naoyuki through a life time of Sasuke's uncertainty. Not when it hurt his son this much.

* * *

When the door shut behind the blonde, Sasuke stood there unmoving. His hand was grasped around the gift Naruto had presented him and he felt himself begin to shake. Naruto couldn't understand how it felt. He didn't know what it was like to possibly be your son's murderer. How dare he talk to him like he knew anything? Naruto had no idea what he was talking about.

He turned and he walked down the hall and back into the core of his apartment. He threw the gift on the table before he sat on the edge of his bed with a heavy breath. When Naoyuki had shown up at his window and Sasuke heard his voice all Sasuke felt was fear. He felt a fear that churned his stomach, he couldn't let Naoyuki see him so weak, it would have hurt the boy more than Sasuke turning him away. He knew that much. Right? Naruto didn't know…so Sasuke rested back on the bed and fell asleep, determined to escape this feeling of torment once more.

It was two days before he had begun to eat properly. He made himself a full meal, and it wasn't until he had finished that the gift caught his eye once more. Sasuke frowned and he picked it up. He stared at it for a long time; it was light blue with bright green frogs printed on the paper. He grew angry as he thought of the blonde, and grasping a corner he tore the paper haphazardly to reveal a small black book and he rolled his eyes. Did Naruto expect him to learn from some sort of self-help book? How much more dimwitted could he get?

Sasuke froze when he opened it though. His eyes widened as he stared at the front page, it was a photo of an impossibly small infant nestled into an obnoxious orange blanket. His eyes were closed and lips were smiling in slumber. The baby's hands were fisted and rested over his chest, a light fuzz of black hair dusted a top his head. Sasuke's brow furrowed and he felt the emotion begin to build in his throat. He couldn't muster the courage to turn the page for some time. When he did he was faced with Naruto cradling their child months later, looking down with a genuinely happy smile on his face. Naoyuki's eyes were open wide, hand grasped tightly in the folds of Naruto's shirt. The third was of Naruto lying on a couch with Naoyuki sleeping cradled on his chest, the blonde wasn't smiling but the expression was nothing but content. He turned to the next page but there wasn't a photo. Instead there was a white piece of paper, Naruto's messy writing was at the bottom corner.

_Bastard,_

_Come find us when you're ready for more._

_- Some Moron_

**TBC…**

Drama, drama, drama. My poor boys.

It's been a long time since I've read/watched the fight between Naruto and Neji. I apologize if I'm wrong, I can't remember if the seal can't or won't be removed. For all intents and purposes of this fic, there's no known way to remove it.

Please, I hope you can take the time and leave me a review~


	8. Chapter 7

**Warnings:** Language, Yaoi/Slash, drama, angst, alternating POV, Spoilers until 614 (not so casually sobbing)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own any recognizable characters or the world of Naruto

Chapter 7

Sasuke stared down at the paper and his fingers gripped the edge of the book until his fingers cracked in a couple of places. He felt like he should be angry, that he should be completely pissed off that Naruto kept him from experiencing the earliest years of Naoyuki's life…but staring down at the photos all he felt was an unusual calm he hadn't experienced before. Sasuke grabbed the note inside the album and he held it up. Of course, Naruto said 'when' not 'if'. He fisted the paper inside his hand and he stood up from his table and walked over to the window. He rested his forehead on the glass and stared out at the village under dimming light. Naruto believed that he would choose them, was he as good as the blonde thought he was? He had asked himself the same question all those years ago. When he had seen Naoyuki for the second time all he could think of was how the child was his…That Naruto was his. It was a notion, the pair belonging to him. This…this feeling, this emotion welling up inside of him was so real that Sasuke hardly had the nerve to face it. It was so much bigger than he had ever imagined, and with all the complications it made it all that much more terrifying.

He knew he should go to them, as soon as possible, because the longer he waited was longer his son would be forced to believe what wasn't true. He lifted the photo album dangling from his hand and opened it to the first page of the sleeping child. Naoyuki deserved more than Sasuke had to offer.

He leaned back from the window and he headed toward the front door, knocking along the wall as he made his way down the hallway to alert his chaperone. He was out the door, ignoring his messy dining area. He slipped the photo album in his waistband and was pleased when he saw the Hyuuga out the door just moments after he was. They shared a brief glance before Sasuke started down the steps, trying to keep the stoic expression on his face as his feet took him where he wanted to go. When he was at the walkway to the house he turned to look at Hyuuga, and the man stopped in his tracks.

He walked up to the door and he knocked just loud enough to be heard. It took a moment, but the door swung open. "Sasuke…what are you doing here?"

Sasuke looked over his former teammate and looked off to the side, his jaw tense. "I need your help…" He said. It wasn't in the form of a question, but he knew that Sakura had every right to deny him.

Sakura seemed to stand there for a long moment, but even from the corner of his eyes he could tell she was a little shocked. He was about to leave when she finally spoke, "Give me a moment," She murmured and she stepped back inside. He could hear her muffled voice a few doors down moments before she reappeared. "Let's go sit over there," She pointed toward a bench and Sasuke didn't acknowledge in any way other than simply walking over to the bench against the stone wall. He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his knuckles. They were quiet a long time as Sasuke tried to think of how to say what was on his mind, but the entire time they sat there under the fresh night sky he could tell she was tense.

"I'm losing them…" Sasuke said his voice rumbling deep in his throat.

Sakura was quiet for a while, but after a few minutes she leaned back against the stone wall and stared up at the sky. "To what?" she asked.

"I'm too different from them. I'm selfish...ambitious to a fault, prideful…" he trailed off.

"Are you just realizing this now?" Sakura asked, she didn't sound particularly malicious, but Sasuke knew that's exactly how she meant it.

"It didn't matter until now," Sasuke muttered.

"I bet it's hard to imagine that your actions would have consequences like this, right?" She gathered one knee to her chest and Sasuke tipped his head, careful to keep his expression neutral.

"If you want to call me names, I'd really prefer it with no veil, no matter how thin." Sasuke said and saw Sakura flinch out of the corner of his eye.

"Why are you even talking to me? I feel like you'd rather talk to Kakashi or something," she said.

Sasuke knew that Kakashi would see much more than he wanted to hear right now, but it wasn't the only reason. "You're a mother…Kakashi isn't a parent, not in the same way," was Sasuke's careful reply.

Sakura sighed and relaxed against the wall. "Fine, what exactly is the problem? Because if it's Shikamaru then I'm going back inside," She said crossing her arms.

"Nara doesn't mean a damn thing to me," he remained careful with his tone, doing his best not to reveal the disdain he felt for the man. "I did something…something I'm not sure I can repent for. Naruto expects me to overlook it with no questions. I can't…even look at him, let alone Naoyuki and not..." Sasuke trailed off unsure how to get from one sentence to the next.

"Are you talking about when he went off to find you? Back then?" She asked and Sasuke knew the tension in his limbs was answer enough. "Sasuke…I'm not sure how to help. I don't think I'd be so willing to forgive or forget." She said

"Maybe I shouldn't have come back," Sauske said quietly, but as he voiced it out loud for the first time he felt the recoil inside of him, like his words were poison.

"But I'm not Naruto, and as an outsider my opinion doesn't really matter. Sasuke, if he's willing to forgive you, maybe you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I mean, maybe he can believe you deserve another chance enough for you both," she said. "Naoyuki's a good boy…he deserves both his parents, and I think you owe him the chance to get to know you," She said just as the faint sound of a baby crying sounded from her little house.

He thought on her words for a long moment…she was right, and he hated that he needed to have it spelled out for him. He nodded, swallowing audibly as he thought on the album for a brief moment. Maybe he was ready now. "I never meant for my leaving to affect so many people…Maybe I knew that it would, but I never wanted that," Sasuke said quietly just as Sakura was making to stand.

"We learned to adapt," Sakura said, though it was obvious that it hadn't been easy. "Besides...I'd rather adapt to you returning rather than adapt to you never coming home," She said.

"Especially never wanted that for Team 7…" He continued.

"Sasuke, look, it's fine," She smiled, it was well practiced but he could sense some genuine feeling behind it, even if it was only a little. "I haven't felt like that for a long time. Since before...since Naruto told me how he felt. I knew I didn't stand a chance, what you have is ineffable. I'm glad though, because it gave me a chance to find true happiness," She said as she looked to her home before she stood. "Goodnight Sasuke," She said and made her way calmly back toward her home.

"That's good…" he said in agreement. Sasuke sat there quietly and thought over their conversation, she was right and he hated that he needed to have it spelt out for him. He took the album from his waist and he looked down at it. He flipped through the three photos quietly and he let the tension fade from his shoulders. He wanted to try and be a father, one that his son deserved, he wanted to try to be a decent person, try to be the legacy his family left behind…one without the hate, one that they could be proud of. He was ready.

When he finally found himself on the door step of his family home he raised his knuckles to rap on the door. He waited, and before long the door slid open revealing Naoyuki staring up at him with wide eyes. The boy's expression quickly changed into one of anger, his glare was enough to strip Sasuke of whatever confidence he had previously found. "Go away!" the boy yelled and slammed the door in Sasuke's face and his footsteps could be heard running deep into the house. He blinked, and stared at the door for a moment.

When the door opened again Naruto stood there with a look of confusion on his face. "Sasuke?" he asked and he crossed his arms before leaning back with all his weight on one leg. "It took you long enough," Naruto muttered.

"I'm ready," Sasuke said, but it was much quieter than he had intended.

"Are you sure about that? Because you look like you're ready to upchuck," Naruto's brow raised but he stepped back to let Sasuke in.

"Moron," Sasuke muttered as he stepped inside, hearing the Hyuuga over his shoulder mention something about waiting outside for however long Sasuke needed.

"I didn't expect you to take so long…it's probably bad for you that you did though. I don't know if he'll talk to you, he's pretty upset, and these two days only made it worse. I've been trying to talk him down from his anger, but I guess I haven't been able to say the right things since he's locked in his room right now," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck as he sauntered down the hall.

"You shouldn't have to say the right things for the wrong things I've done," Sasuke muttered, his eyes roaming over the photos on the wall and noticed some were gone. He missed the look of confusion that Naruto directed toward him.

"I guess?" He said softly. "I'll go in and talk to him first, we'll see how it goes from there, wait here," Naruto said holding his hand up before he walked a few steps to Nao's bedroom and knocked quietly. "Nao, it's me…can I come in?" there was silence for a minute before the door clicked and Naruto was given a small sliver of doorway to slip through before it was promptly slammed shut again.

Sasuke leaned against one of the walls for a moment, trying to relax as he heard muffled voices on the other side of the door. A shock went through him after a moment and he stood up straight and stared at the wall with a frown. His mother would have scolded him severely for putting scuff marks on her walls. They seemed clean still, surprisingly; in spite of Naruto moving in everything seemed to be in order. He reached forward and touched the wall carefully and he swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought of moving forward, of not focusing so much on his father's expectations, on his mother's strict but gently enforced rules and the time that neither Itachi or his father could spend with him.

"Naoyuki, let him explain. Do you not think he deserves a second chance?" he heard Naruto's voice filter through before an extended period of silence. "I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?" he could almost hear the gentle smile on the blonde's lips.

A moment later the door opened and Naruto emerged. He closed the door quietly behind him and walked over to Sasuke and the raven dropped his hand from the wall. "Can I see him?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Naruto moved closer, and murmured just over Sasuke's shoulder. "He's ready too," Naruto smiled softly and he walked down the hallway.

Sasuke shivered as he heard the gentle rasp of the blonde's voice. He didn't speak, he merely nodded and stood outside of Naoyuki's bedroom…it had been his room as a child. He knocked gently but received no answer, taking a chance he pushed it open and saw Naoyuki sitting on his bed hovering over his sketch pad. "Hey," He murmured softly.

"What do you want?" Naoyuki said with a frown, not looking up.

Sasuke stayed where he was, afraid if he moved closer that he'd burn the bridge between them. He couldn't do that now, not when his family was just out of his grasp. "I came to apologize," he said.

"That all? Okay, you said sorry, you can go now," Naoyuki muttered.

"I didn't mean anything," Sasuke tried, taking one step closer and when Naoyuki didn't move away or say anything he quietly sat down at the foot of Naoyuki's bed. "I found out some difficult information and I needed…to think about it."

"So?" Naoyuki was usually perceptive, and highly empathetic to others. Even Sasuke knew that by now and oddly he could see his son doing something Sasuke did when things got difficult. He was trying to act indifferent, but the tone on the boy's voice was foreign to Sasuke. He'd be willing to bet that indifference was foreign to Naoyuki as well.

"I should have told you, that I needed some time alone."

"That doesn't make it okay again," Naoyuki said, finally looking up at Sasuke with a frown and Sasuke could hear emotion flicker in the boy's voice. "There's no space between family…even when Dad's upset, even when he's angry at me he…he always makes sure there's time for me if I need him. He always answers. He makes sure I can find him, and that I'm not alone," he said as he stood up and tossed the pad of paper on the bed.

Sasuke saw where he had gone wrong now and he froze…Naoyuki was trying to make him family and he had set the notion back how many steps? "Nao, I'm going to be here…as whatever you need me to be," he said.

"Yeah, well maybe I don't need you to be anything! Maybe I need some space!" Nao said, as if he had disowned Sasuke. He opened the door and ran out, leaving Sasuke in the room with nothing but heartache. He sat there for a few long minutes before he heard Naruto's voice from down the hall urging Naoyuki to go back inside. It took some time but the boy eventually trudged back in, his hands fisted at his sides. "I'm sorry for raising my voice," he said, but evidently didn't apologize for anything else.

Sasuke watched him keeping his face neutral, a habit he knew he should break himself from if he hoped for this to work. Naoyuki looked like he was about to speak, but Sasuke didn't let him. He slipped from the bed, kneeling in front of his son he gathered him in a tight embrace, same as he had done on the dock. "I can't promise that I'm going to be perfect Naoyuki," He whispered, resting his hand on the back of Nao's head. "I can't promise that I won't make mistakes. I do promise that my door will always be open for you, you're right…there should be nothing coming between us. I won't go back on my word."

Naoyuki was still in the embrace, but as Sasuke spoke the last words he felt the boy tense. It was only for a fraction of time before small arms closed around him too, "That's my way of the ninja…" He said softly.

Sasuke's eyes closed and he nodded, "Yeah…that's it," He said softly.

"O-okay," Naoyuki said softly. "New year was a couple of days ago. It's a fresh start, right? So…okay, you get another chance…dad," he whispered.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he was completely unsure that he heard correctly until Naoyuki relaxed completely into the embrace. He couldn't stop the soft sob that cracked from his throat and he hugged his son tighter. "Thank you," he didn't deserve this…but he wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.

The two were so caught up that they didn't hear the blonde back slowly away from the open door.

* * *

Naruto's eyes were wide as he heard the words spill from his son's mouth. He was nothing more or less than shocked. Actually, he wasn't angry; in fact, whatever resentment he felt toward Sasuke didn't matter. He was genuinely happy to have witnessed the scene. He had only ever wanted for Sasuke to realize that there was more than anger in life. He turned to head back out to the deck and he firmly bumped into someone else. His eyes widened once more as he registered that Shikamaru was standing in the hall and his stomach dropped. Shikamaru pressed a finger to his own lips in a gesture to be quiet and Naruto felt the man's hand grasp his wrist and lead him away from the bedroom.

"I didn't mean to intrude," He heard once they were out of earshot. "I was just trying to find you, I didn't realize," Shikamaru said.

"He came back…" was all Naruto said softly as they moved outside. The blonde knew that Shikamaru saw the photos on the table that Naruto had been gathering for Sasuke. "I was starting to get worried. Hm, I'm glad they worked it out. Nao is always expecting everyone to play by our rules, even if they don't know them," He admitted. They were silent for a few moments before Naruto stepped outside. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Shikamaru was quiet and Naruto watched him out of the corner of his eye. The brunette leaned against a support beam and Naruto followed behind him quietly. "Yeah…" He said, looking out at the sky but he reached down to grasp Naruto's hand and grasped it tightly. "You can say what you want…it's clear you love him."

"I know…" Naruto admitted softly and he grasped Shikamaru's hand even tighter and it hurt that Shikamaru's tone contained no hint of blame. He had hoped that maybe his previous admission of love had bought them more time than this; more than a week and a couple of days...he had always been a dreamer.

"If you have even the smallest chance to make your family work, you need to do what you can to help it along. I'm in the way," Shikamaru said.

"Don't say that! You were never in the way," Naruto said, knowing his blunt nails were digging crescents into the other's hand but couldn't let go. "Shika, you kept me together, even when you didn't have to," Naruto scrubbed his free hand at his eyes. "I love you…"

"I know," Shikamaru said and he drew Naruto into a chaste kiss. "We never really fall out of love with our first love do we?" He said, and Naruto let out a sad laugh when Shikamaru brushed his hair back. He heard every implication…that Shikamaru was walking away from a feeling he'd never be free of.

"I never meant for this to happen," he said.

"Under other circumstances maybe," Shikamaru said and with a heavy breath he looked back out to the sky. "You two are something else," He hummed, "you're both so much trouble."

Naruto tensed and he looked up at the man. He was going to voice words of hurt, but Shikamaru cut them off before they could sound.

"You're worth every bit of it," Shikamaru said and he brought Naruto's hand up and pressed his lips to his knuckles. "We'll figure out how to tell Naoyuki tomorrow okay? But I should go before Sasuke realizes I'm here," He said.

"Why are you here? It wasn't for this," Naruto was trying to remain composed, but his seams were trying to unravel.

"I ate dinner with my mother tonight, she always cooks for more than she needs to," He said softly. "She insisted I bring you the leftovers, I already put them away," He smiled sadly in brief memory of his father.

"Tell her thank you," Naruto said. He drew Shikamaru into a brief embrace, brief because if he lingered any longer he wouldn't be able to recover. "I'll see you tomorrow," He nodded as he stepped back.

"Tomorrow," Shikmaru agreed, before he turned to left and Naruto could tell he was trying to leave silently.

He let out a heavy breath when he was alone, and with a balled fist he struck the support beam closest to him and leaned against it. It was the right decision…but sometimes Naruto hated having to be responsible.

* * *

"Did you finally end things?" Shikamaru looked up from where he had taken a moment to collect himself outside of Naruto's house. He frowned as he looked the pale man over and his lip twitched.

"I still fail to see how you're involved," he said, swallowing thickly. He hadn't accounted for Neji to be skulking around, especially since he hadn't previously seen him when he came this way.

"I'm simply stating what I'm seeing. Your relationship has been unraveling for months," there was no expression shift; Neji had always been skilled at that.

Shikamaru paced back and forth restlessly for a moment, cracking his knuckles as he thought to himself. He didn't want to deal with this. All he truly wanted to do was get away from this house, this village…whatever he needed to do to optimally put this situation behind him. In spite of how collected he had been he was still walking away from this broken hearted. "Why do you care?" He said, growing angry but kept his collected expression of boredom.

"It's not what you think," Neji affirmed. "Like I said, I'm simply stating observations."

"You seem like you wanted this to happen," Shikamaru said, anger now apparent.

"I told you, it's not what you think," Neji's arms crossed as he stepped closer until they were nearly chest to chest. Neji had always been taller than the rest of them, the difference now seemed impossible but Shikamaru knew that was foolish, Neji hadn't grown any in the past few moments, no matter how it seemed now that they were face to face.

"What is it then?" Shikamaru's voice rose for the first time since he didn't know when.

"I know what it's like to do terrible things Shikamaru," Neji said calmly, his breath impossibly even while Shikamaru's world seemed to be crashing down around him. "I know what it's like to need a second chance. By all rights I never should have been given one, but they allowed it. He needs one too, and all I ever did was fill in some blanks when he asked."

Hinata and Naruto, he knew Neji was talking about that much. He had seen each of their battles, it seemed like so long ago, so much had happened in the decade since their initial exams. "Right," Shikamaru muttered and he stepped around the man, shoving his hands in his pockets and headed toward home.

"You knew it was coming to this. You knew it was over the second he stepped inside these walls," It had been left unsaid, anyone with eyes might have deduced that Neji was attempting to break them up.

Shikamaru quickly turned and grabbing the man's arm he pushed him up against the wall. This wasn't him, whoever it was losing his temper right now, Shikamaru didn't recognize him. "I hate having to repeat myself, so I'm going to say it once more in layman's terms. Stay out of my business, Neji," He said shaking. He was no fool though, his skills paled in comparison to Neji's. The other man was pinned to the wall because he let it happen, not because Shikamaru willed it.

"Better it happen now before you grew too involved," he said.

"Then you don't see nearly as well as you think you do," it was too late for that, he was involved as he possibly could be.

Neji was quiet as he looked at Shikamaru, and lifting his hand to dislodge himself from the half assed pin he spoke, "Then I truly am sorry things turned out the way they did."

"Yeah, I bet," Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"I am," it was all Neji said before he utilized his grip on Shikamaru's wrists and pulled him in for a brief lock of the lips.

Shikamaru tensed and pulled back, shoving Neji into the wall with a thud. "Don't touch me," he growled and he stalked off, leaving Neji to his obligation to babysit the Uchiha.

* * *

When Naoyuki pulled back from the embrace he smiled and reached up, wiping gently at Sasuke's face. "You're sad too much,"

"Often," Sasuke murmured and heard a slightly aggravated groan from Naoyuki.

"Too often," but the smile didn't leave the boy's face. "It's a new year, remember? Time for new things, not old things to be sad about," He said as he raised both his pointer fingers, pressed them to the corners of Sasuke's mouth and pressed upward, forcing a ridiculous smile.

Sasuke blinked and grabbing Naoyuki's wrists he pulled the boy's hand away. He let out a single breathy laugh and shook his head, his lip quirking. He imagined Naruto might do something like that too.

"See, you should smile more often. I like that," Naoyuki said with a sunny smile. "Oh…I have something," the boy frowned and he pulled away, leaving Sasuke where he knelt to rummage around his room. It was then that Sasuke noticed the pictures hanging around the room, all drawn with incredible likeness to the subject for such a young age. There were mostly plants, many of them he recognized from the garden outside. Some of the pictures even had scribbles, which looked like organized data. "Here," Nao finally said, presenting his gift to Sasuke.

He looked down at it and took the gift carefully. It was thin, but mildly sturdy and was placed in an envelope with traditional clouds drawn over it. He blinked and he moved to open it but found Naoyuki's hands on his own," No! Don't open it now!" there was a flush on the boy's cheek.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke frowned and he watched as his son rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, if you really want to," He sighed.

Sasuke's brow rose and he carefully unfolded the top watching Naoyuki's face for any sign of real dismay. When he did nothing more than continue to rub the back of his neck Sasuke pulled the paper, reinforced so it wouldn't bend from the envelope. He blinked when he saw a sketched picture, he imagined that it was the one Nao had refused to let him see over the past month. His brow furrowed as he studied it…it was him and Naruto, standing side by side facing away. In front of them was a pumpkin…no, a one eyed pumpkin. "Naoyuki…" He murmured, in spite of his lack of understanding the drawing showed exceptional skill, though it wasn't perfect the proportions were just about right.

"Dad used to tell me about how you guys fought in the war," Nao said after a moment of silence. "He always said that we would have lost if it hadn't been for you…"

Sasuke looked over the picture…the pumpkin…and Obito's orange mask. It finally clicked. "It's exceptional Naoyuki," He said softly, a small smile on his face at the inner workings of a child's mind. Fighting a pumpkin, if only it had been that easy. "I thought you said you weren't drawing me," he smirked.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to give it to you on new year but…" Naoyuki trailed off and was about to wander off when Sasuke tugged him forward and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Thank you," he said before he stood up and witnessed the boy flush a little deeper and mumble something incoherent.

They spent a short time talking before Sasuke decided to move from the boy's bedroom. When he stepped out Naruto wasn't inside the main living areas. "He's probably outside," Naoyuki said with a smile as he trotted over to the door and peeked his head out. "Dad's here," he said, leaning back inside the door and beckoned Sasuke over with a down faced hand. Sasuke walked over and sat Naruto sitting down on the deck, leaning back on his hands.

"Naoyuki, don't you have homework to finish?" he asked, brow raised.

"But da—" there was a concerned look on Naoyuki's face that Sasuke couldn't place.

"—No, you're grounded, remember? When you're done you're going to have a bath and go to bed okay?" He said in an unusually firm voice.

Naoyuki lingered where he was before turning to Sasuke with a small frown on his face. "Yeah, okay. Dad? Are you okay?" Nao asked quietly, not moving from his spot and he looked a little meek.

"What? Of course," Naruto said and grinned, Sasuke could tell it was lacking but said nothing.

"If you say so…Bye…Sasuke," Naoyuki said speaking carefully, which Sasuke could understand.

"Goodnight," He nodded quietly as the boy trudged back into the house. Sasuke turned back to Naruto who hadn't looked away from the sky. "Grounded?"

"Yeah, he took off from school last week when he knows he's supposed to wait for me," Naruto explained. Something was off about the blonde, but Sasuke couldn't place it. "I'm glad…things are working out for you two," Naruto said, finally looking at Sasuke with a small smile.

"I guess I'm lucky," Sasuke said.

"Maybe, I think he's been wanting this for a while though," Naruto admitted as he reached for something at his side. He shifted over, legs crossed to sit beside Sasuke. Their sides were almost touching as he revealed the album.

"When did you—" Sasuke frowned but was cut off.

"I swiped it when you walked in," Naruto laughed a little nervously. "I wanted it to be a surprise and that wasn't going to happen if you knew I had it," He said looking down at the book. He grew quiet once more, an odd expression taking over his face. "Look, Sasuke I'm sorry. I never planned on not telling him about you, I swear on that. I just…I didn't know how to tell him without telling him everything. I didn't want to scare him, and I didn't know how to stop myself from saying too much…so I said too little," He admitted quietly. "I hid from everything for a long time, I mean I guess I was tired and didn't want to spend years you know, with my ears filled with tears from laying down and crying over you," He mumbled not realizing how ridiculous he sounded in that moment. "What I mean is that I've been trying to forgive you for years…but I think that I needed to see your face again to do it," his eyes were half lidded and his fingers moved over the book.

"Naruto…" He murmured softly and might have continued if the blonde didn't speak again.

"I hope you can forgive me too," he said, turning his head to look at Sasuke but his chin remained downward.

Sasuke watched the man until he felt a weight on his knee. He looked down to see the photo album there, as a peace offering and his brow furrowed. "Hn…Of course," He said softly, and he rested his hand over top of the hand presenting the album. Ducking his head down he caught the blonde's lips in a gentle kiss, and just as Naruto began to respond the blonde pulled back and shook his head, brow furrowed.

"Please don't," He begged, his voice cracking just a little bit. "Not now, can we just…look at the photo album and maybe fight about this tomorrow or something?" Naruto rubbed at his eyes which were only glossy, trying to prevent them from falling.

Sasuke was quiet as he watched the other man's face, confirming that there was in fact something wrong. "'kay," He promised, not getting angry because he knew if he made a wrong step it could be the end. It was more than he could hope for to have his son forgive him, it was just a dream to think Naruto could forgive a fool like him. Sakura was right, he wouldn't abuse this opportunity. He might never get another.

"'kay…" Naruto parroted and sucking in a shaky breath he shook his body to release the tension before he hunched over and he pulled the cover open. He leaned in so close that Sasuke could smell citrus and summer. Naruto moved to the fourth pictures and cleared his throat, "I like this one…he was just learning to walk," He said with a small smile.

Sasuke watched the other's face for a moment, feeling slightly light hearted at the genuine smile before he slowly turned to look down at the photo of Naruto trying to coax their child to walk to him. Even from a photo he could see the slightly wobbly stature. Sasuke lost himself easily in Naruto's voice, talking him through their son's life and by the end of the night their hands interlocked between them, neither noticing it had happened.

Sasuke finally decided he should leave just before Naoyuki was due for bed. He felt like he had accomplished something, and he had this foreign feeling of contentment. "Nao'll probably be showing up in the next few days," Naruto said as they stood by the front door.

"I'll be there," Sasuke said, making note to unlock his window when he arrived at his apartment. "I promised him," He said simply as he moved to slip a sandal on. As he stepped down there was a definite crunch and a shudder ran through the raven as he tensed up. His foot felt disgusting.

"What was that?" Naruto said with a frown and Sasuke lifted his foot to reveal the remains of an egg crushed over his heel. Naruto's eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder. "Naoyuki, get in here young man!" the blonde said with anger in his voice.

Naoyuki bolted down the hall a second later but when he saw Sasuke with his leg hovering over his sandal he skidded to a stop and hid behind the corner. "I'm sorry!" He said quickly with a heavy flush on his cheeks. "I was mad! I forgot to take them out when things got better!" he said frantically.

"Naoyuki, make that another week that you're grounded, go get ready for your bath, now," Naruto said. "And apologize to Sasuke," his voice was firm.

"I'm sorry!" He said, "I'll get a towel!" He said as he ran off.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry, I thought he stopped acting out like this," He said as he rummaged around, Sasuke only managed to shudder again…he hated being dirty, but he couldn't get angry. Getting angry would just set things back. "I have sandals…we're probably the same size, I can clean these for you and send them with Naoyuki when he visits," He said as he grabbed a pair of sandals.

Naoyuki reappeared and he gave the towel to Naruto cautiously before he slowly backed away to get ready for his bath, hoping that he wasn't in too much trouble.

"It's fine…" Sasuke ground out and watched Naruto kneel down and begin to towel of his foot.

"There," He the blonde said quietly and stood to look at Sasuke. "It won't happen again," He assured the man and Sasuke nodded, chanting his new mantra in his head as he slipped Naruto's sandals on. Don't get angry, don't blow up, don't act psychotic, Nao was a child, don't get angry.

"I'm fine," Sasuke repeated and he stepped outside, egg remnants aside…it had been a good night.

* * *

"Something's wrong…I knew it, you were acting weird yesterday," Naoyuki said the next day. Naruto and Shikamaru sat across from him with a very noticeable space between their shoulders where normally there would be none.

"Naoyuki…" Naruto started as he looked down at his son unsure of how to start and he stared down at his hands, flexing them nervously until Shikamaru's closed over one of his hands to still them and his heart broke a little more. He refused to show it though, well, no more than he already was. "Shikamaru and I have decided its better if we…if we…"

Naoyuki's eyes widened and he looked up at Shikamaru and he stood from his chair, "You're leaving us."

Naruto watched the emotion flicker over Naoyuki's face and still couldn't get over the fact that the boy used the same words he had when he realized Shikamaru's intensions. "We've decided this together Naoyuki, Shikamaru isn't doing anything," he tried to explain. Shikamaru may have been trying to initiate it, but they had both known it was over before the discussion ever had to take place.

"What did you do?" Naoyuki looked at Naruto and the blonde couldn't stop the words from aching in his chest.

"No, I…" Naruto couldn't think of anything other than apologizing, apologizing because it was his fault he couldn't keep Sasuke's gravitational pull from drawing him in, apologizing because he had ever allowed Shikamaru close enough that Naruto could hurt them all.

"Your father hasn't done anything wrong Naoyuki," Shikamaru said with a frown, the blonde could hear the disapproving. "No one has done anything wrong, okay? We've tried to make this work, and it would be wrong to keep going when we know it's not. Sometimes these things happen," Shikamaru said and Naruto felt the man's hand slip from his when the blonde stopped shaking.

"These things happen too much!" Naoyuki said and he shook his head. "I hate you, I hate it when you do this," Naoyuki began to babble as he glared at Naruto, leaving the blonde frozen for the moment. "You keep changing things! You don't think about how I feel, why do you keep doing this to me?" Naoyuki was trying to fight off angry tears now.

"Nao…" Naruto tried to lean forward and place his hands on the boy's shoulders, but Naoyuki stepped out of his reach leaving Naruto's hands with nothing to grasp. "Naoyuki, the only thing that's changing is how much Shikamaru and I spend together. Nothing else," he said.

"You can feel free to spend time with me any time you want Naoyuki," Shikamaru said, trying to relieve the tension some. "This was beyond anyone's control. I promise we're not trying to hurt you."

Nao looked up at Shikamaru and he shook his head, "Why? I thought everything was okay…I don't want to talk anymore," he was growing quieter.

"Nao, I'm sorry it has to happen this way," Naruto said, his fisted hands resting on his knees.

"I especially don't want to talk to you right now," Nao said refusing to look at Naruto.

Naruto watched the boy for a long moment and he looked off to the side for only a moment before meeting Naoyuki's eyes. "I'm sorry you feel that way Naoyuki," He said softly, "You know that whenever you're ready to talk, I'll listen," He assured him.

Naoyuki stopped just before he left the room and looked back over toward them, "I know…" he said, and Naruto was relieved that the boy wasn't shutting him out completely.

When Naoyuki was out of sight Naruto stood and he walked over to the open door, his arms crossed and he let out a shaky breath. "I can talk to him if you want," Shikamaru said quietly and Naruto smiled sadly. He knew Shikamaru would go in and probably take the blame…convince Naoyuki that Naruto wasn't the bad guy and he shook his head.

"No…he'll talk to me when he's ready," he said and rubbed at the back of his neck. "When he's thought through everything," he was sure of it. Even if the boy's words hurt, he knew that it was all just in anger.

"If you're sure," Shikamaru said and Naruto turned to face him. "Hey…" Shikamaru said.

"Yeah?" Naruto blinked when he felt a little different. He hadn't quite registered Shikamaru's hand seals until they both started walking toward one another without Naruto deciding to, "Shika…" when he was released from Shikamaru's shadow control he was standing in front of the man. He watched a sad smile cross the brunette's face as he drew their lips together, their kiss was slow and tender, the same familiarity that Naruto loved.

"I'll see you around, okay?" He said when he pulled back, brushing his fingers through Naruto's hair once more.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, his brow furrowed. This would have been so much easier if they were fighting, if he could just be angry with Shikamaru…but deep down, he was glad they weren't. "See you around," He tried to smile as Shikamaru headed for the front door, leaving their personal life for good this time. Naruto felt like he should be crying right now, but even though he felt the anguish he found he couldn't manage it. He sighed heavily and he went outside and sat on the deck so Naoyuki could find him if he needed him. He looked out at the garden and tried to figure out how to recover.

* * *

"Dad…?" Naruto heard Naoyuki addressing him for the first time in over a week. At least, out of the boy's own free will. The boy had spent an extensive amount of time with Sasuke, but Naruto knew that his former avenger still knew nothing by nothing more than the sheer lack of presence. Sasuke would have said something, he could imagine Sasuke's cocky words now if he had known. Naruto was glad that the boy hadn't said anything, but lamented the fact that he hadn't been talking about it at all. The blonde didn't know just how the boy was coping.

"Yeah?" Naruto stood up from his spot at his desk in his study and walked over to his son. Naoyuki was dressed in baggy clothes and he looked distraught, more than the apathetic mask he had been wearing since Shikamaru had left.

"I miss Shikamaru," he said softly and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist and the blonde felt another stab of uncomfortable sadness wash through him.

"I know baby, so do I," he said softly, placing his hand on the back of the boy's head for a moment before gently dislodging his small arms so he could kneel in front of Naoyuki.

"He's coming back…from Suna right?" Naoyuki murmured and clarified; making it known he knew that Shikamaru wasn't coming back to them.

"Of course," Naruto murmured, recalling Shikamaru once stating that he couldn't leave Konoha because he'd be far too worried about everyone here. He also knew that the shadow user had taken the extended mission to get away and clear his head for a bit, but he couldn't tell Naoyuki that.

"Why'd he leave us?" He asked quietly.

Naruto brushed Naoyuki's hair back and gathered him into his arms. "You know how families are special right? He needed to find the family that's just right for him. He needs to find the perfect fit, just like we do," He said.

"He wasn't the perfect fit for you?"

Naruto paused hearing that and he gently stroked down Naoyuki's back. "No baby, he wasn't," He said. Shikamaru might have been, if things were different. Naruto wasn't lying.

"Okay…" Naoyuki accepted it quietly. "I just want you to be happy. I'm sorry I said all those things, I didn't mean them," He murmured.

"I know," Naruto said as he hugged the boy a little tighter, and though he wasn't anywhere near over Shikamaru, Naoyuki's words and acceptance made him feel like things would be okay again. "You're all I need to be happy, I promise."

"Love you," Naoyuki said and pulled back, raising his hands to pinch at Naruto's face, just over the whisker marks.

"Love you too," Naruto said, chuckling as he put his hands over Naoyuki's before standing. They'd be okay, eventually.

* * *

It was a few days after that Naruto found himself at the old Team 7 training grounds. He was with Sakura and Sai and they were running through a few exercises. "You're being sloppier than usual, dickless," He heard Sai drone from in front of him. Naruto was on the offensive, and even though that was his normal fighting style he was more than a little sloppy. He was faster than Sai, and though they might be evenly matched in strength, his stamina far exceeded the other man. The last fact didn't really matter because Naruto currently felt like he had been fighting for days.

"Can you not talk for once?" Naruto muttered as he leaned back, narrowly missing a blow to the face before he attempted to put a decent distance between them.

"No, it seems to be distracting you, and that bodes well for me," Sai said, abusing the distance to pull out a scroll and scrawl over it with his brush unleashing his beasts on Naruto.

"You know, you're not supposed to tell your strategy to your opponent," Naruto muttered as he went through the necessary steps to form a basic rasengan. He rushed forward and let it tear through the ink creations before sending forth a few clones to buy him a little time to think up a decent plan. He couldn't formulate or adapt to Sai's usual strategy and it was frustrating him more and more.

"Come on Naruto!" Sakura called from the sidelines, it was one of the rare days that Lee could take care of the kids at home and free her time up to spend a little time with the team.

Sai ripped through his clones with ease before bringing the combat in closer than he usually did. Naruto mentally cursed to himself. "You're not even making this worth my time Naruto," Sai said, collected as he always was.

Naruto came to a stop just before Sai's elbow cracked against his jaw and his head snapped to the side. He let out a grunt before he promptly sat down in defeat. "Forfeit," he muttered as he heard Sakura running toward them with a worried tone in her voice.

"Naruto! Are you okay?" She asked as she knelt down to inspect his face.

"M'fine," Naruto muttered as he finally looked back at Sai who was watching him with an analytical stare.

"You need to get laid, Shikamaru hasn't been gone that long, you shouldn't be affected this much," Sai crossed his arm and Naruto tensed.

"Yeah, well I got a lot on my mind so shut up will you?" Naruto muttered as he swatted at Sakura's hand as she attempted to heal him. "I said I'm fine!" Naruto said, he had forgotten that he hadn't told anyone of their breakup yet, apparently neither did Shikamaru.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" Sakura said as she leaned back.

"I'm just not…feeling this today," He said and he scrubbed at his eyes and was about to stand when Sai knelt down on the other side of him.

"We are your friends, you should feel comfortable divulging information," Sai said.

"If you want to…" Sakura compensated for Sai's lack of social skills.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and tried to hold himself together, but couldn't keep the strain out of his voice. "I'm probably not getting laid even after Shikamaru gets back," He shrugged. "Kind of difficult when you're not in a relationship anymore."

"Oh, Naruto…" Sakura said and she invaded his space giving him a hug as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "Why didn't you say something? Did Sasuke do something? Because I can kick his ass if you need me to," she scolded with a gentle tone.

Naruto let out a soft laugh, "He didn't do anything wrong," Naruto muttered. "We just…aren't in a relationship anymore," Naruto blinked as he felt another arm around his shoulders. He turned to look at Sai who was now sitting beside him and his shoulders shook in a sudden burst of emotion. He remembered when Sai attempted to comfort him this way once before.

"You know we're here for you," Sakura assured him.

"Of course, do you require ice cream?" Sai asked and Naruto couldn't help but let out a pathetic laugh.

"No, m'okay," He said as he rubbed at his eyes before chuckling again. "You guys are the best. I don't know what I'd do without you," he murmured because he felt a little better, even if Sai didn't know when to shut his ever loving mouth.

"Probably do a lot more stupid things," Sai said and Naruto frowned and shoved the dark haired man onto his side.

"I take it back, jerk," He muttered but his tone was lighthearted.

* * *

Sasuke didn't realize just what was wrong with Naruto or with Naoyuki until the last Saturday of the month. He had received another invitation. He was rather surprised, especially after the dispute he had created at the previous one. He accepted the invitation regardless, pleased to see that it came from Naoyuki this time. When he was escorted over the first thing he noticed was the Nara's lack of presence. He helped with dinner, as much as Naruto would let him and when they finally sat down he noticed that there were only five chairs at the table instead of six. He had seen the shadow user earlier that day in passing and was able to finally put things together. It finally made sense why Naoyuki insisted on spending every day with him after school, and he finally understood Naruto's emotional distance. He had to say that it wasn't a development he was opposed to, but he knew he had to proceed with caution.

After dinner Naoyuki had managed to drag him around the garden, "We plant vegetables every year, Papa Kashi always gets me a bunch of seeds for my birthday…well with other things too, but yeah," He grinned.

"I bet your dad loves that," Sasuke said with a soft snort, looking over his shoulder where Kakashi, Iruka, and Naruto were fussing over something in the dining area.

"He knows he has to eat them," Naoyuki said as he dragged Sasuke to another plant, explaining when he got it. Sasuke imagined that Naruto only ate vegetables because it was the only way to get Naoyuki to eat them all.

"Naoyuki!" Iruka's voice sounded from the house, "We're leaving!"

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at his former teacher and his brow rose. The man still hadn't grown accustomed to him yet, as was evident by the awkward conversation all night. "Are you going to say goodbye?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh…no, I'm going to stay the night at Shin's house. Since it's on the way, Grampa Iruka and Papa Kashi are taking me!" He said as he ran into the house. He was half inside when he came to a skidding halt, did a 180 and ran back toward Sasuke. "I almost forgot!" Sasuke's eyes widened when he felt the full weight of the boy slammed into his legs, arms around his waist. Nao tipped his head back and his hair fell away from his face as he grinned. "Bye dad," He said.

"N-Naoyuki," Sasuke said, before he finally rested his hand on the boy's head and he managed a small smile, noting that Naoyuki only called him dad when Naruto wasn't around. Sasuke wouldn't complain. "Have fun okay?" Sasuke said quietly before Nao nodded and he took off back into the house.

They were pretty well out of the house by the time Sasuke had lazily walked over and Naruto leaned himself against the frame of the door with his arms crossed. Naruto wore a black sweater that was just a smidge small that it clung to his frame. He had a glint in his eye before he stood up straight. "That was downright adorable Sasuke, I didn't know you had it in you," he said. Naruto had been emotionally distant, but he had been amazingly accepting of Sasuke, much to the raven's enjoyment.

"Moron, all I did was stand there," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I dunno," Naruto leaned forward and wound up right in Sasuke's space as the blonde inspected his face. Sasuke was a little tense, not quite accustomed to people needing to be close to him yet. "Yup…you're blushing," Naruto said with a grin as he stood up straight.

"They should really have you tested," Sasuke muttered.

"Shut up, bastard," Naruto rolled his eyes, but laughed as he stepped inside and went to the kitchen to put the leftovers away.

"You laugh, but I'm serious," which only earned Sasuke the annoyed expression of Naruto sticking his tongue out.

"Rude," Naruto muttered. "I slave over dinner, invite you into my home and this is how your repay me?"

"Iruka cooked most of it, like he did last month," Sasuke's brow raised.

"Hey, Sasuke? Come here," Naruto beckoned, seeming to ignore Sasuke. Sasuke frowned and he moved closer, and when he was only about a foot away from the blonde, Naruto flicked a spoon in his face…a fully loaded spoon of yogurt. "Shut up," he grinned.

Sasuke tipped his head just enough to get most of it on his cheek instead of his nose and he let out a growl. "What are you doing you idiot?" Sasuke dipped his hand into the container and grabbing Naruto's wrist he secured him in place as he smeared a long swipe down Naruto's cheek and his neck. All irritation seemed to fade when Naruto let out a boisterous laugh as he leaned back.

"Sasuke, no fair! Mine was based on my pure amazingness with hand eye coordination, you cheated," he said as he wiped at his cheek. He looked at Sasuke with a grin and the raven couldn't help the slight quirk of his lip.

"I've been known to be underhanded," Sasuke said in a smooth voice before he realized the tone and sighed as he looked at the sink. His fingers flexed and he remembered just how much he hated being dirty. "Here," He said as he wiped his hand off with a cloth he dampened and he moved to get Naruto's face.

"I can do it," Naruto muttered but he didn't move as Sasuke dabbed down his neck to get the last of it. It only took a moment before Sasuke realized he had drawn close enough to Naruto that their lips met in a gentle kiss and his hand fell to his side just before he pulled back.

"You kiss like a girl," Naruto muttered as he turned to continue putting things away. The lighthearted happiness that had been buzzing through the room seemed to be gone and Sasuke wondered what was going on.

"Where's Nara?" Sasuke asked then.

"None of your business," Naruto said as he began to clean the dishes, ignoring Sasuke's offer for help. "None of my business either, I guess," he said quietly.

"Oh?" Sasuke said, brow rose.

"Fuck you, try not to sound too broken hearted for me," Naruto said in annoyance.

"I didn't say anything," Sasuke said calmly, firmly ignoring the irritation bubbling inside.

"Of course you didn't. Why would you when you're acting like some withdrawn jerkoff like I can't handle your bloody moodiness?" Naruto snapped and Sasuke couldn't help but be a little drawn aback.

"You're snapping at me and you're calling me moody?"

"Fuck sake Sasuke, just shut up. Way to ruin a good mood," Naruto said as he slapped everything down into the drying rack before he dried his hands.

"No, tell me what you meant," Sasuke said, but remained distant.

"This!" Naruto gestured to all of him.

"Clarify," Sasuke demanded.

"Whatever this is, I don't like it. You're acting weird, you called me moron twice in the last fucking month and to top it off you're being down right passive and it's damned annoying," Naruto said as he stalked out of. "What do you think I can't handle you? In case you didn't notice whatever part of you that makes you an asshole? That's the part I fel—became friends with in the first place," Naruto said.

"What was that last part?" Sasuke could tell Naruto was going to say something else, but he couldn't be positive.

"You damn well heard me," Naruto said stopping to turn around. "So what is it? Someone finally take that stick out of your ass?"

Sasuke growled then and grabbing Naruto's wrist he pulled him forward. "You mean this?" there was a deep rumble in his voice as he spoke. "Is this what you want from me? The man that almost murdered you?"

"I thought we were past this," Naruto said with a growl, but he didn't dislodge his wrists. "I guess, whoever that man was, that was Sasuke. I don't know who walked through my door this evening," Naruto said.

Naruto had opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off as Sasuke leaned forward, sealing his lips. The brief click of their teeth reminded Sasuke of a different time when Sasuke was purposely trying to put distance between them. It reminded him of a time when all he wanted was one night, one memory to take with him before his probable death. He vaguely registered the whimper under his onslaught, only enough to pull back, "Is this what you want?" he bit out, pressing their chests together. "Because this isn't going to share you, and it isn't anything you might be familiar with," he said dangerously.

"Almost…" Naruto said as he tipped his and Sasuke felt those plump lips against his once more. It took almost nothing to press Naruto against the dining table with the blonde's arm hooking around his neck. He spoke in a low rasp that sent shivers down Sasuke's spine, "But this is definitely better."

**TBC…**

Whelp, there you have it~ I know I've informed some people via comment responses, but for those of you who don't know I've taken the time to draw out Naoyuki, and a couple of the photos I described. They're only simple, but you can find them on my profile if you're at all interested.

Please take a moment leave me a review, and thank you to everyone who has faved, followed and reviewed all ready! You make this all so worth the work c:

KoriC


	9. Chapter 8

**Warnings:** Sexual Themes, Angst, H/C, Slash/Yaoi, language, violence, mpreg, alternating POV, possible spoilers until chapter 615

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that belongs in the Naruto world, I write for fun and not for profit

Chapter 8

Sasuke let out a small growl deep in his throat as he heard Naruto accept this. Accept who he really was, and though he still had some reservations about his previous behaviour, he was relieved. He might not have been very verbal, but he most certainly had never been passive his need for control would never allow it. "So be it," Sasuke muttered before his lips latched onto Naruto's honey column, teasing at his pulse point and taking immense pleasure in the sounds he was coaxing out of the man.

The Raven wasted no time letting his hands roam down Naruto's body, noting the muscle underneath his clothing. His hands reached down and firmly groped Naruto's back side, marveling at the flesh between his hands before his finger ran down the blondes' clothed cleft. He sought the entrance he knew was hidden beneath clothes and when he found it he pressed against it, coaxing a strangled whimper from the other man. "Sah…Sasuke!" Naruto's fingers gripped at his hair, "fuck," He heard the man rasp and it only fueled him on.

"Exactly what I had in mind," Sasuke said, nipping at the man's neck as he lifted the man onto the table and pushed him back. The only problem with pushing Naruto was the fact that the blonde had firmly grasped his collar and dragged him with him, their lips locking again until Sasuke was lightheaded. This wasn't the same submissive lover he had taken those years ago, it was an exciting prospect finding out who Naruto was now.

"You know we eat on this table right?" Naruto mumbled against his lips, regardless of what he said the blonde's long limbs had wrapped firmly around Sasuke's hips wouldn't let him back up.

"I'm the mood killer?" Sasuke said, his voice low and he reached down, his hand hooking under the deliciously too small shirt Naruto had on and would fully admit that his thumb slipped under the hem of the other man's pants as well.

"Che, I could probably talk about worms and it wouldn't stop you," Naruto muttered as he arched his back up off the table allowing Sasuke to pull the shirt up and eventually off.

Naruto was right, he probably could and Sasuke probably wouldn't care…but that fact would remain with him. "Cute," He muttered as he leaned back and unzipped his shirt but didn't get farther than that before Naruto had sat up and pressing their chests together his lips locked over one of the smaller seals that had been placed on him.

"Bite me," He muttered into Sasuke's chest and his teeth scraped along it sending a shiver of desire straight through Sasuke.

"I could. Shall I take you right here?" He whispered low into Naruto's ear, firmly latching his teeth against Naruto's throat. When the blonde squirmed at the increasing pressure of his teeth Sasuke finally let up, his tongue laving over the angry red mark.

"Che, you're such a perv," Naruto said with a pout though his tone clearly said he wasn't adverse to it.

The raven smirked, "Doubtful," He said and sliding his hands down to Naruto's ass he groped him earning a squawk before his hands slid under Naruto's back, lifting the man until the blonde was forced to curl his arms around Sasuke's neck.

"The hell are you doing?" He said, holding on but received no answer because Sasuke had taken the chance to slant his lips over Naruto's, his teeth grazing his bottom lip before walking them to the bedroom.

"This suit you better?" Naruto only glared at him before he was unceremoniously dumped onto the bed.

"Oh Sasuke, you're so wonderful, kind, and accommodating," The blonde said his voice obviously sarcastic, but he could see the smirk on Naruto's lip when his hand swatted at his rear. "Che! I knew you missed my ass, but can you quit abusing it?"

"You won't be calling it abuse in a minute," Sasuke said with a snort as he began to peel Naruto's pants down his legs before tossing them aside, annoyed before he slipped off his unzipped shirt. Any irritation he felt quickly washed away as he looked down at the honeyed flesh before him. There was a slight flush dusted over the warm expanse of skin and he smirked, trust Naruto to be at least a little bashful so many years after.

"You're such a jer—" his words were muffled as Sasuke rested his weight on top of the man and covered his lips with his own. This was something he would gladly become accustomed to, the feel of Naruto's tongue at his lips and the fingers in his hair was threatening to unravel his resolve. He quickly set himself to exploring expanses of honey, pleased with every aspect of the other man. His firm muscles, smooth and flawless skin, no trace of weathering battles. It was enough for Sasuke just knowing that Naruto had faced so much, it was enough to know that his deceptive skin harboured something deadly.

"Lube," he muttered as he kneaded the flesh of Naruto's thighs briefly before a tube was pushed into his hand. It would have to wait, time to explore Naruto's body thoroughly could wait, because they had all the time in the world now. This wasn't one night, this wasn't a souvenir that Sasuke basked in before death, and this was everything he had wanted but was too afraid to keep. Yes, there would be time.

Sasuke coated his fingers and tracking his finger once more along Naruto's flesh he searched for the opening he knew was there. Once found he slipped a finger inside, taking care until he felt Naruto push at him forcing him to dislodge. "Ow, trim your nails, you woman," Naruto said shifting his weight.

"I'm the woman?" Sasuke's brow rose and he found Naruto flicking his forehead and was shocked.

"I doubt you'd be here if I was," Naruto muttered and with a swift movement Sasuke found himself on his back, Naruto hovering over him. No, Naruto was right, he wouldn't be. He didn't have much time to think on it before he felt his pants drawn down his hips and the blonde's warm mouth engulf his member. The pleasure that moved through his body like a wave forced his fingers to close into fists, knuckles cracking at the sheer force and he let out a heavy exhale.

It was all silence except for the sound of sweet suction and Sasuke's panting. He had his arm thrown over his head, his fingers grinding into a fist and one hand gripping blonde tresses. Naruto seemed determined to undo him with the way his cheeks hollowed out, the way his tongue expertly teased at the crown of his cock and he wondered why they hadn't done this before. All it took for Sasuke to lose his control was the flick of the blonde's eyes. So sharp, so blue as he slowly slid his lips down the raven's erection. "Fuck," He groaned, his fingers tightening in Naruto's hair. "N-no more," he said, it had been meant as an order but it came out pathetically. Naruto's eyes never left him, he was glad when they slid closed and Naruto nuzzled against his member before pressing a kiss to the crease of his thigh and hip. Another moment met with those cornflower blue eyes and Sasuke might not have lasted.

"You're really beautiful Sasuke."

His eyes fluttered and he didn't dare look down at the other man. How Naruto could hate him one moment and go off spouting nonsense like that the next was beyond Sasuke. He felt warmth spread up his neck and he propped himself up onto his elbows, "Moron," he said quietly.

"Che, you think I'm lying," Naruto muttered and there was a moment of stillness between them. Sasuke refused to meet the blonde's gaze because he saw clearly too much and Uchiha weren't insecure. He didn't have to worry because Naruto chose that moment to stroke his member slowly, slicking it thoroughly before the blonde's weight settled on top of him. It was only then that he dared to turn back and there were those eyes again. They were half lidded and darkened with desire as he straddled Sasuke, resting his hands on Sasuke's stomach to momentarily steady himself. Naruto leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Sasuke's lips, "This is really happening…" He murmured before he leaned back again. Sasuke might have said something if he wasn't in equal disbelief.

Sasuke denied, even in his mind, that his hands were shaking as he rested them on Naruto's hip bones, his thumb caressing back and forth along the curve. There was a moment of silence between them while the rise and fall of their chests slowed but the warmth coursing throughout them did not. Sasuke's pale hands slid down Naruto's thighs and he held his breath when the blonde finally decided to move. Positioning Sasuke's member at his entrance, Naruto sunk down, his brow beautifully furrowed as he accommodated Sasuke's girth. The Raven shuddered as the warm heat engulfed him, this was the same moment of union he craved. "Oh, fuck," Naruto murmured out, his eyes clenching shut as he settled, "fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Are you hurt?" Sasuke was suddenly taken over by inner panic but Naruto shook his head harshly. "What is it?" Sasuke fingers began to rub circles at the small of the blonde's back, even Sasuke wasn't aware he could be so gentle.

Naruto shook his head again and his fingers clenching, "This is really happening," this time it was a definitive statement.

Sasuke found himself cross with the admission and with no further discussion he rocked his hips upward, swallowing thickly at the build of pleasure. "Idiot…don't scare me like that," Sasuke muttered, and all anger dissipated at Naruto's exhale of pleasure. "Don't cry now," Sasuke commented on the emotion in Naruto's voice, it might be a little harsh even if he was teasing but this was the Sasuke Naruto wanted, wasn't it?

"Fuck you, I'm not going to cry," Naruto hissed and Sasuke was pleased even more as Naruto was coaxed into movement.

"Interesting choice of words."

"You're a bastard," Sasuke smirked and his fingers gripped at Naruto's thighs as he shifted in his lap before settling on a steady rhythm, and there was nothing but the sounds of their heavy breathing, the wonderful look of concentration on Naruto's face, and the impossibly hot pleasure slowly driving Sasuke mad.

Sasuke's eyes slid shut, lips parted, and his hands gripped tightly at Naruto's thighs, enough to leave bruises as Naruto slowly rose and fell, shifting ever so slightly until he gasped and cursed in the same breath. They found that bundle of nerves, and with that realization Sasuke's hand slid up the blonde's thighs to his waist and he held Naruto there not letting him move forcing a whine of frustration from the other man. He watched as those blue eye eyes stared at him in confusion, with a quirk of his lip he snapped his hips upward. Naruto's head fell back, his blonde hair falling away from his face as he let out a soft moan and Sasuke groaned with the sensation that came with the erotic sight. He continued this way, taking his pleasure in Naruto's complete lack of control, how his body writhed, his cries sounded loudly down the halls and how his hands kept grasping, kept reaching for something to hold onto but couldn't find. And when he felt the blonde begin to quake he slowed, leaning up Sasuke's lips latched onto Naruto's pulse creating an angry red mark before pulling back with a growl. "Wait," He whispered so sharply it almost sounded like he shouted it in the empty house.

Naruto's eyes opened sluggishly until they were nothing but blue slits and he shook his head. His hands closed around Sasuke's and the raven felt those fingers trying to pry his hands. "C-can't," He said. His hips shifted, but Sasuke held him firmly in place allowing no movement.

"Wait for me," This time his voice was low, rumbling deep in his chest as he feathered soft kisses along Naruto's collar and chest. His thrusts had slowed to almost nothing, only enough to keep Naruto craving more. Their eyes met for a lingering moment, and as they drew together for a battle of tongues Sasuke began to thrust once more. No longer was it tortuously slow, nor mind numbingly fast, it was comfortable drawing them both toward the edge at an equal pace.

When release found the pair, Sasuke's teeth dug into Naruto's shoulder and the blonde's cry, Sasuke was positive could be heard outside. They clung to each other, riding out a distantly familiar union and when they were fully spent Sasuke eased out of the blonde and tucked himself firmly against Naruto's sated body. He breathed in Naruto's scent, cirus, summer and the heavy smell of sex and he felt suddenly overwhelmed that he held now in his arms, everything.

Naruto's gentle snore broke his concentration and all Sasuke could respond with was a smile.

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened and breathing slowly inward he stretched and turned his head. It was then that he realized Sasuke was there, sleeping on his side and facing toward him. His brow furrowed and he flushed a little. Waking up beside Sasuke wasn't something that happened, and on some level he wasn't sure if he should have expected the Raven to stay. But recalling last night he couldn't help a brief moment of happiness, Sasuke had worried about him. Sasuke did a lot of things, he protected him, he fought with him, he even tried to kill him, but openly worrying about Naruto's wellbeing wasn't one of those things. He bit at his lip and he turned to look out the window completely oblivious to the arms that wound around his middle. He let out a surprised grunt as Sasuke pulled him close and he flushed a little deeper as he felt the other man's chest at his back. "Stop thinking, it's strange," Sasuke mumbled against his ear.

"Shut up, bastard," Naruto mumbled as his eyes looked over to the ledge of the window where a picture of Team 7 and his former genin team sat.

"There's a flower pot covering my face," Sasuke didn't sound too amused and Naruto snorted.

"Congratulations on that, Naoyuki was pissed with you so he covered it up," Naruto mumbled. "I guess he didn't get around to moving it. He probably would have covered up every photo if he could," he admitted. Naruto felt the other man tense up behind him and he let out a sigh. "Don't take it so personally, he tends to act rashly when he's upset," Naruto said softly.

"No…I acted foolishly," Sasuke admitted quietly and the blonde felt him begin to trace a pattern on his stomach.

"Probably," Naruto said before he grew quietly, only twitching as pale fingers moved over ticklish spots. "Sasuke…I think this might have been a bad idea," the hands on his stomach stopped.

"What are you prattling on about?" Sasuke sounded irritated and Naruto smiled sadly at that.

"I don't mean…what…I think…" He sighed, shook his head and he moved to sit up distantly realizing that Sasuke had taken the honor of cleaning them both as he slept. He looked down at Sasuke over his shoulder and couldn't help the passing thought that Sasuke was really beautiful and the notion that he could possibly want someone as messed up as Naruto seemed impossible…even though he fought so hard for any sort of bond with the man, even though he could feel the Raven's gravitational pull in that exact moment. He wondered if Sasuke could truly feel the same thing, could feel this need to be close because it made it easier to breath. "Maybe…we should ease into this," he suggested.

"It's a little late for that isn't it?" Sasuke frowns as he moved to sit up, but only made it far enough to lean up on his elbows.

"Yeah, well…maybe it was a mistake. Not…not us…just…it's complicated," He muttered softly. He was such an idiot, he and Shikamaru had split up what two? Maybe it was three weeks ago? Yet there he was, lying in bed with Sasuke when the wounds of another were still mending.

"A mistake? Is this some sort of game to you? Because I'm tired of jumping through hoops for you. I asked you if you were ready for this. I told you I wasn't going to share you, not even with a memory," Sasuke sounded very angry.

"Oh shut up Sasuke, I couldn't make you jump through anything and you know it," He muttered, though he knew that the Raven had a right to say these things. He bit his lip and he looked back to the window as he drew his knee up to his chest. "I just…want to take things slower is all," Naruto said. "Besides…if Naoyuki knew about this he'd probably end up hating both of us," he muttered.

"That doesn't make sense," Sasuke said and Naruto wasn't sure what he was addressing, his feelings or Naoyuki's.

"I told you, it's complicated," he murmured and rested his chin on his knee trying to ignore the pleasant ache in his backside and the wonderful feeling that Sasuke hadn't run off again. "Naoyuki doesn't like feeling helpless, he just forgave me for…for uh…" He was trying so hard not to mention Shikamaru and he wasn't entirely sure it was just for Sasuke's benefit. "You're not going to like it, but he was pretty attached to Shikamaru…and when we broke up he was just as angry with me as he was when he and I got together," at least the first few times they had tried to be together.

"Hn," Sasuke sat up and he leaned over to grab his shirt and Naruto tried not to feel a little hurt because he knew he was making the right decision where he hadn't the night before.

"We need to talk him into this Sasuke…it's not like its forever," he murmured.

"I've done my waiting for you Naruto, I'm quite frankly sick of it," Naruto heard the zipper of Sasuke's shirt close.

"What, am I not worth it?" Naruto asked, feeling angry all of a sudden, "Because I've uprooted my entire life for you Sasuke on multiple occasions. I'd like to believe that when things eventually work out that you'll be worth the 11 year wait," except he knew he'd be worth every painful second of it.

He felt Sasuke still and there was a long silence between them before Sasuke stood and grabbed his pants and wrestled into them. "You're a lot more manipulative than I remember you being," he heard and the words stung.

"Bastard…I'm not trying to manipulate you. I'm trying to tell you that you're going to unnerve your son if we move too quickly! Do you know how long it took me to calm him down after I forgot to tell him I invited you to dinner? He gets unusually angry when even small things, like pop quizzes at school or when a spontaneous shower starts. You don't get it," He said. "When he trusts you enough, he's going to tell you everything that happened and you're going to feel like the idiot, not me," Naruto muttered as he got up with the intent to clothe himself as well fully expectant of the next pregnant silence that he met.

"Okay, we'll wait for as long as it takes," Naruto heard Sasuke's smooth voice behind him and was surprised to feel the man's arms wrap around him. "And…you are worth it," he wasn't sure if he had daydreamt the words, because it was something so sentimental, something so intimate and Naruto was only hoping that Sasuke truly felt the same as he did, dreaming that Sasuke might actually be able to love him.

Naruto's brow furrowed and he reached down to loosen Sasuke's grasp and turned to face him. His eyes were half lidded as they took in Sasuke's face, it was near unreadable and almost vacant but he could see the acceptance there. He leaned forward and caught the man's lips gently as he returned the embrace, allowing himself one more moment of weakness. "I'm sorry," He said, their lips brushing together as he spoke. "That I let this happen so soon…I should have thought about it, I didn't mean to be selfish," he apologized.

"Hn…moron," Sasuke's arms tightened around him, "I think you can afford to be a little selfish from time to time," He heard and it made him relax into the embrace.

Naruto smiled and he leaned into Sasuke, "I'll talk to him…and if you want, maybe you can come for dinner more than once a month," He hummed.

"Hn, do what you want," Sasuke said and much to Naruto's delight was eventually coaxed into eating breakfast.

Naruto settled everything on the table and he sat down and began to eat, surprisingly lighthearted. "So, that seal isn't working is it?" Naruto said quietly.

"I guess not, if you've trained any of those morons then either they're incompetent, or you're not a good teacher," He mumbled as he ate.

"You're a real jerk," He mumbled but he looked thoughtful. "I doubt mine would fail…" He trailed off.

"Then why don't you do it?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't really fancy taking away people's chakra, I can't imagine it's very comfortable," Naruto said quietly. It felt like a violation, maybe Chakra was just an energy that they were able to utilise but it was also their way of life. To be cut off completely from it, it must make one feel so unsafe, so helpless, so vulnerable. He never wanted to be the cause of that, least of all in Sasuke.

He felt Sasuke's eyes on him and neither of them ate anything for a while. Naruto began to feel a little self-conscious and pulled his legs to his chest. "You've been purposely leaving the village whenever they seal me," Sasuke said.

"Heh…surprise," He mumbled.

"Is that the only reason?"

"They can ask me to do a lot of things Sasuke…but they can't ask me to harm you directly," He said softly hiding behind a full coffee mug as silence spread between them again.

"Hn," Sasuke continued to eat, but Naruto could swear he saw the slightest quirk of Sasuke's lip.

They sat there for some time, well after the dishes were put away. They just talked, about nothing, about Naoyuki, about what they thought their relationship was now. They were friends, maybe a little more affectionate than others and eventually they'd let it become more. Sasuke hadn't been particularly happy with that, but he understood the reasoning.

They had been discussing the possibility of Sasuke obtaining some sort of job after his evaluation in a week when a knock at the door sounded. "Oh, one second," Naruto said and he stood up and made his way to the door. Sasuke frowned and followed after him, making sure to be silent and hide behind a wall. It was something he remembered doing as a child as well, briefly recalling Itachi speaking with their family members shortly before his life had been turned around.

When the door opened there was a pale boy with black hair that stood there who looked to be around 15 but was particularly tall for his assumed age. He was dressed in a black long sleeved tee and a white scarf hung loosely around his shoulders. His shorts were beige and he had a bandage wrapped around his left hand. His hair was black and tied into a mid-level hair tie not saving his hair from falling into his face, his eyes were a bright grey. "Yuta, what's up?" Sasuke could hear the smile on Naruto's face.

"Naruto-Sensei…the others were wondering if you would come train with us next week on Saturday at noon, like we used to," the boy's voice was soft but firm and after that he presented a wrapped box. "Oh, and Mai and I made you lunch," He said offering it with both hands but was clearly standing closer than he needed to.

"Oh? I think I can do that, you're coming back from a mission the day before, yeah?" He asked and the dark haired boy nodded. Sasuke watched Naruto take the box. "Thank you, are you sure Kyohei didn't help?" he sounded as if he were teasing the boy, which was made even more apparent by the annoyed expression on the teen's face.

"We kept him from helping to save from poisoning you Naruto-Sensei," he said. "Please enjoy. We're just getting ready to leave, but we wanted to make sure you'd be there," the boy's lip quirked before he casually walked off with a goodbye. Before he left he was almost sure he had met the boy's eyes, he was almost sure that he had seen an honest glare, he was completely sure he didn't like the brat.

"So he was part of your team?" Sasuke asked when Naruto rounded the corner.

"Sasuke, were you eavesdropping?" Naruto asked once the initial look of surprise faded.

"That's ridiculous. I wasn't being particularly secretive about having followed you," Sasuke said.

"Right," Naruto's brow rose before he walked in and sat at the table to unbox the meal his team had prepared for him. "Yeah, that's Yuta. Smart boy, but he's rather shy, amaaaazing control of chakra. Sakura tried to steal him away from me for good when she found out, but he managed to split his time between the both of us," he said with a hum. "Oh look, they made me Ramen," Naruto said with a grin.

"Didn't seem shy to me," Sasuke muttered.

"Yeah, well I've been working with him since he was 12 haven't I?" Naruto said but his tone held partial disagreement. "He and Kyohei are having trouble being considered for a Jounin promotion," he said with a shrug. "Mai on the other hand is up for consideration soon, not that she knows that yet," He said with a grin.

Sasuke's brow lifted and he sat back down and watched as Naruto began to eat. "Why's that?"

"Maturity levels, they haven't quite gotten over how different they are. Hey, do you want some? Or whatever we have, I could make you something?"

"Not hungry. I'm sure they'll be fine," Sasuke said.

"They kind of remind me of me and you. Sometimes I think that's why Iruka assigned them to me," he hummed. "Oh…well, not exactly like us, but I think they'd be good friends if they could just put their differences aside, which aren't many, not that they'd agree," Naruto said with a small smile. Sasuke watched as he ate his Ramen and after a moment of contemplation the blonde held out a slice of hardboiled egg in front of Sasuke's face with his chopsticks.

"Why is this the first I've ever heard of them from you?" Sasuke asked and just stared at the egg, but when Naruto refused to drop his arm he sighed and leaned forward taking an awkward bite.

"Oh…well, I guess this I the first time we've ever sat together and…not been completely stupid," Naruto shrugged and kept eating. "I see them kind of regularly, when Nao's in school. They might be Chuunin, but do those boys ever need some help not to make dumb decisions. They were making good progress for a while, but they're acting just like they did when they were Genin all of a sudden," he shook his head.

"I think I remember someone like that," Sasuke said as he looked out toward the garden.

"Che, don't you mean someones? Because I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one," Naruto muttered as he finished. "Do you want to come with? They probably just want to do some practice exercises. Yuta will be coming back the day before from leading a mission of his own."

"I have nowhere else to be."

"I'm touched that you're so enthusiastic to spend time with me out of bed," Naruto rolled his eyes as he got up to clean the dish with the intent to bring return it to his team.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Sasuke said as he stood, and before Naruto could go through with cleaning the small bowl Sasuke took over for him.

"I know, I have to go grab Naoyuki though. If you're tired I can take you back to your apartment before I grab him…or after," he offered.

"I'll go," he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see his son, even if it was only for a moment.

"Good," Naruto said with a smile as they headed off to pick up their son.

Once Naruto and Naoyuki were safely home and Neji had finally decided to show up and do his job like he was supposed to, Sasuke was on his way to his apartment. It was silent as it usually was until Nara had stumbled across their path. He was walking with Akamichi and they were engaged in simple chatter before Nara realized they were there. Akamichi took the time to wave but Nara seemed content to ignore them as they passed.

Sasuke wasn't so kind, "It seems I won," he said, his voice low and there was a smirk on his lip. He never really expected to be pinned up against the wall, just as he never expected to see such a look of anger on the usually bored face.

"What would you know? You've always had things handed to you on a silver platter Uchiha, why should this be any different? Oh wait, maybe it's because he isn't a thing, he isn't some spoils of war you insufferable idiot," Sasuke managed to keep his expression calm had it not been for the man's use of shadows, he would never be in this position. He wasn't used to being called an idiot.

"Regardless, it seems that I've gotten my way," Sasuke said, his brow rose.

"I guess so, but if you hurt them in any way, I'm promise you I could outsmart you. You need to stop acting like you deserve them," he said before he let Sasuke go and he made to leave. "And you, he works himself ragged trying to save your family and you reward him with a knife in the back. Congratulations Hyuuga, you must be proud to throw yourself in with his lot," He said gesturing toward Sasuke and Sasuke was sure he saw his escort tense as they walked away, Akamichi asking what just happened.

"What did you do?" Sasuke said his eyes narrowing at the Hyuuga needing to know what the man could have done to Naruto.

"I'm sure I have no idea what he's talking about. Let's get back, your evaluation starts today," came the clipped response.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder with a frown before he continued back to his apartment. Nara had no idea that he knew he didn't deserve the two. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

* * *

The week went by at a pleasant pace; Naoyuki was becoming rather comfortable with Sasuke's presence after the mistake that almost cost him everything. Things were going well between the three of them, and the depression Naoyuki experienced following that damned Nara's departure was beginning to ebb.

"They went on a field trip today," Naruto said from where he stood beside Sasuke. They had gathered just outside school grounds to avoid the gossip of the annoying villagers.

"Where?"

"The Hokage Monument," Naruto said with a smile. "So they'll be coming from that way," he pointed toward the cliff as if Sasuke didn't already know.

"Shocker."

"Che, bastard," Naruto said but there was a smile on his face.

It was then that a mumble of young voices could be heard. A few children rounded the corner and ran over the bridge over a relatively small creek to meet their parents. They were followed by the rest of the class, Iruka and a few Chuunin level nins to act as chaperones. The children quickly filtered down to a small handful when Naoyuki finally appeared he was walking with a dark haired girl with green eyes. "It's not so bad Hisako!" His voice filtered through the now quieter air and Sasuke could recognize the dark haired boy from Naruto's team waiting for them to cross.

"Oh, look there's Yuta, they weren't supposed to get back for another two days," Naruto said with a smile and he waved. Sasuke didn't like the collected quirk of Yuta's lip and the nod that he saw.

"I'll hold your hand while we cross," Naoyuki was about to reach for the girl's hand when she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to go over, what if I fall off the edge?" she said, her brow furrowed.

"But you live on the other side, you can't stay here. If you fell in then I'd just have to go and save you, right?" Naoyuki was smiling but when it didn't work he grew concerned. He looked over to Yuta before he walked in front of her and he crouched down. "I'll carry you across then, I promise I'll keep you safe, okay?"

The girl looked at him before she hesitantly nodded, "Okay, since you promised," she said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he stood up carefully before slowly walking across the bridge.

"See, we're fine," He said with a smile. It only took a moment for them to get to the other side and once they were he gently set her down.

"Thank you," she murmured and she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she ran off calling to her mother.

"That must be who he has a crush on," Naruto murmured to him and Sasuke's eyes widened slightly before a gentle smile appeared on his face. The crush was made very apparent by the red flush that struck across Naoyuki's pale cheeks as result of the innocent kiss.

"Dad, Sasuke!" Naoyuki ran right into Naruto's legs and the blonde let out a grunt.

"You're going to be too big to do that soon," Naruto said with a laugh as he lifted the boy up. "You did a very nice thing Naoyuki," he said as he waved at Yuta and Iruka before turning to head home.

"She doesn't like being on bridges because she's afraid they'll break. I tried to tell her that they're real sturdy, but it didn't matter," he said as he hooked one arm around Naruto's neck and got comfortable on his back.

Sasuke was content just to walk quietly beside the pair when he felt something poke his cheek. He blinked and turned to see Naoyuki with a smile on his face and a shy wave. It coaxed a small smile from Sasuke as he waved the boy's hand off. "Yes?"

"Wanna help make dinner?" Naoyuki asked, "We're going to make curry," He said with a grin.

"Sasuke just finished working, I'm sure he'd like to relax," Naruto said as he shifted the boy's weight on his back.

"I'll help. In fact, why don't you stay out of the kitchen so we can make something edible," Sasuke smirked.

"Oi! I can cook just fine, jerk," Naruto mumbled but trailed off as his eyes caught something.

Sasuke looked over and saw Nara turn around a corner this time walking with some child and that woman he couldn't remember the name of, the one who had mentored the other Hyuuga. "Being able to make Instant Ramen isn't cooking, moron," Sasuke said and heard a small laugh from Naoyuki, glad that he could at least keep the kid distracted from seeing the shadow user when he appeared to be getting happier by the day.

"Dad makes breakfast best," Naoyuki said and reached around to pinch at Naruto's whiskered cheek.

"Ow, cut that out brat," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I wish I had marks," Naoyuki said as he squirmed to get down as their house came into view.

"I dunno, you're too cute as it is, aunty Sakura would have a heart attack," Naruto said as he opened the door to the house and let everyone in.

"I am not," Naoyuki said as he dashed toward his bedroom after clumsily taking off his sandals at the door.

"Naoyuki, we've talked about running in the house!" Naruto called after him before he relaxed and leaned back to look at Sasuke. "So I get a night off of dinner duty?"

"Yeah, time to show the kid that good food actually exists," Sasuke said, smirking when Naruto pushed at his shoulder.

"You can be such a bastard sometimes," Naruto said and before they could move past the wall that hid the doorway from the rest of the house the blonde caught his shirt and pulled him in for a quick lip lock.

"Your bastard," Sasuke said with a hum before he walked farther into the house, trying to ignore the fact that going slow was killing him a little inside. The need to show everyone that the blonde belonged to him was overwhelming.

"I'd hope so," Naruto said behind him as he stepped inside just as Naoyuki ran into the kitchen. "Nao, you're running again!"

"Sorry!" Nao said and slowed to a walk, but Sasuke suspected it was because he'd reached his destination more than the half assed scolding. There was a sudden rattle of pots and pans and a few moments later Naoyuki peeked around the corner. "Are you coming or not?" He asked Sasuke who simply smirked and followed as Naruto went to tidy the house a little.

When he rounded the corner into the kitchen Naoyuki was kneeling on the counter top trying to reach for a few items on the top shelves of the cupboards. Sasuke's thoughts drifted momentarily to his parents, the vision of his mother on her tip toes trying to reach a cup on the top shelf and his father calmly grabbing the cup for her to save her the trouble. His mother would have never let Sasuke climb the counter, but he had a suspicion that she would have let Naoyuki, she probably would have spoiled her grandson absolutely rotten. He chuckled to himself and he walked over to the boy and grabbing him firmly under the arms he lifted him so he could grab a few measuring units. "Better?" Sasuke said as he put him down.

Nao looked over his shoulder with a nervous grin, "I'll be tall enough one day," He said surely and he immediately began to gather everything they needed, like he'd done this a million times.

"You will be," Sasuke assured him. "You and your dad cook together often?" he asked as he looked at everything in front of him and his head tipped to the side as he thought a moment to himself.

"When he lets me," Naoyuki almost pouted. "If I have homework he always makes me do that instead, even though I could just do it after," He muttered as if it was the most illogical routine ever.

"Hey…" Sasuke started hesitantly as he took in all the ingredients, adding everything up in his head. "If you want…would you like to cook this my way?" Sasuke asked…well, it wasn't really his way.

"Your way?" Naoyuki appeared to withdraw for a moment as he looked at the measuring cup in his hands, studying it hard. Just as Sasuke was about to take it back, Naoyuki spoke up again. "Your way, how?"

"I don't know how different it is," He started as he started moving things around before he leaned down to lift Naoyuki so he could sit on the counter, something else Sasuke would have never gotten away with as a child. "But it's the way your grandmother used to make it," the words were easier to get out than he had thought.

A look of wonder flashed across Naoyuki's face and he nodded quietly. "Yeah, let's do that," he said looking down to the measuring cup again and held it out to Sasuke with both hands, "show me," he said finally with a smile.

Sasuke took the cup and calmly allowed himself a smile one would only notice if they were really looking for it.

"I like it when you smile," Naoyuki said tipping his head before he shifted his weight to look back at the ingredients. Apparently Naoyuki had been looking hard enough.

Sasuke looked at Naoyuki and he nodded dumbly before he started to talk Naoyuki through the motions.

"What was she like? My Grandma…Dad says that her and Grandma Kushina were best friends," He asked as he carefully added the seasoning into the sauce Sasuke had going.

"They were?" Sasuke frowned and he looked over his shoulder but knew he couldn't see out of the kitchen to where Naruto was. He wouldn't have known that, and he wondered if Naruto was fabricating their parent's past. Once he thought on that he shook his head dumbly, Naruto must have talked to someone who knew. "She was strict, just like my…your grandfather," Sasuke said as he tasted the curry and tipped his head, it wasn't quite right. He picked up another bit, blew on it and held it out for Naoyuki to try who did so with enthusiasm and Sasuke couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, I like that…" He said his head tipping. "Dad's is still good too, it's my favourite," He smiled before he remembered what they were talking with. "Did you get to have any fun then?" he asked.

"Oh, she was strict but in a different way…She was more concerned about how clean the house was, and that it stayed that way. She was very calm, kind, and happy as long as you weren't putting hand prints on the wall," he said as he added just a little more and tasted, it was just right. "My childhood was filled with me working hard because I was trying to be as good as my brother. I kind of did it to myself," Sasuke said, wondering if this conversation was too grown up for his son.

Naoyuki watched him carefully and when Sasuke held up another small taste he opened his mouth and accepted it. "Oh, is it finished? Because that's even better," he said as he took a moment to tend to the rice that would accompany the dish. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Naoyuki said softly.

"Maybe…another time," Sasuke said softly, he wouldn't be the first to admit that his mood was being dragged farther down as the conversation went on, but he also wouldn't have to because it was obvious in his tone of voice.

"Okay," Naoyuki said before he moved to take another taste, or so Sasuke thought. It was a brief moment after it was cooled that Naoyuki's finger pressed against his face, smearing the curry on his cheek.

Sasuke frowned and one eye closed with the gentle yet firm pressure of the boy's hand on his face. "What is it with you two and slapping food on me?" Sasuke growled. He was completely stunned when instead of apologizing, instead of cowering, or snapping to attention like most people did when he used that tone of voice, Naoyuki let out a small laugh. The childish rumble forced another smile from Sasuke, and he wondered if he could tire his face muscles out.

"Because it works," Naoyuki said as he climbed off the counter to go and grab plates.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, confused.

Naoyuki didn't answer right away, he set the plates down before he looked up at Sasuke. "It makes you happier," Naoyuki said innocently.

Sasuke stared down at him and he felt his insides go numb for a moment. Did it actually? He thought back on it, and each time barring the egg in his shoe…it did just that. He reached up and he wiped at his cheek, he stared down at his hand for a moment before shaking his head and he wiped it on a dish towel. Naoyuki's perception was still frightening to him. As far as Sasuke knew, his own expressions differed very little, and even though Naoyuki had only known him for a few short months he could decipher them all. "I think it's ready," He said with a nod.

Naoyuki nodded right back and he started to plate the food under Sasuke's supervision. He was just done scooping a perfect round of rice when he spoke up. "Are you and Dad together?" He asked quietly and when Sasuke tensed he continued. "You guys act different now…and you're always here, or we're always at your place instead of it just being me at your place," he said.

"Together?" Sasuke was trying to think of something to say, trying to proceed cautiously. "No...we aren't," He said.

"Do you want to be?" Naoyuki was hiding behind his bangs as he began to pat another portion of rice into a perfect circle.

Sasuke was quiet as he began to pour the curry onto the finished plates just like his mother would have. "Your dad isn't ready to be with anyone right now," Sasuke said quietly.

"That means yes, doesn't it?" Naoyuki rubbed the back of his neck after he finished the last plate and he leaned against the counter.

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to," Naoyuki said, his tone was really quiet as he began to put things away quietly and Sasuke wondered if he had just made another mistake. "You're why Shikamaru left," Sasuke wanted to run, he wanted to step out of the kitchen and disappear. He felt like the ground was falling away all around him, slowly backing him into a corner before it would pull him down too and Sasuke had no wings to save him. "He kept saying that no one did anything to make it happen, but I guess he was lying," Sasuke wasn't freefalling, he was drowning and that was much worse.

There was a very long silence between them, Sasuke sat there with a spatula in his hand, hovering over one of the plates. The weight of the saucepan in his hand was beginning to force his arm to lower until it was placed gently on the burner that was now turned off. "Naoyuki…I," Sasuke hadn't thought on his actions even once, pushing Nara out of the picture was simply a detail he needed to get out of his way. Was he wrong? He was so sure that nothing could make him regret his attempts to push the shadow user out of Naruto's life, Sasuke hated being wrong

"I'm not mad," Naoyuki said as he moved to grab a handful of chopsticks for everyone. His tone was quite clear, he wasn't mad_ anymore_. "You should take him to Ichiraku's…he likes it there," Naoyuki said finally looking at him.

Sasuke watched the boy's face, the fact that Naoyuki had all but given Sasuke his blessing didn't register immediately, nor did it bring him any comfort. It wasn't until he found that he desperately needed to breathe that he realized he had been holding his breath. "Ichiraku's…Okay, I'll…I'll ask him," he said on his exhale. Suddenly, going slow, the stolen kisses around corners, the odd moments where Naruto would try to feed him, the knowing looks, and the accepting smiles…their relationships was moving too fast.

"You have to take the plates, Dad won't let me," Naoyuki said, as if the conversation had never happened.

Sasuke put down the spatula, "Right," he said, unable to say anything remotely polysyllabic as he grabbed the plates, balancing one on his forearm and carrying two in his hands out to the dining room.

"Dad! It's done!" Naoyuki said, the smile back on his face as he set down the utensils and grabbed a few glasses for water.

"I'll be right there!" Naruto called from deeper inside the house. He appeared a moment later with a smile on his face as he helped set the table a little better. "Something smells amazing," he said as he sat down.

"Sasuke says it's just like he used to have when he was little," Naoyuki said as he leaned over the table to hand Naruto his cup.

"Is that right?" Naruto's eyes met Sasuke's for a moment and there was a calm smile on his face…it was just a smile and Sasuke still felt like they were moving at breakneck speeds.

They ate dinner quietly and Naruto had admitted that he enjoyed curry made in this fashion over what he could come up with. He even admitted that it was Sakura who had spent hours in his kitchen trying to teach him how to cook when he had to do so for more than just himself and then Ino when it turned out Sakura wasn't as good as she thought she was. Naruto started to tell him about everyone he had grown up with, what they had done and what they were doing now. Sasuke remembered those that had graduated with him, the ones that had fought to bring him back and eventually gave up on him. He was glad that Naruto could talk a mile a minute, because Sasuke didn't think he could talk about his last seven years without upsetting everyone. Still, the blonde's inclusion of him in his life was frightening but comforting and Sasuke felt like the divide between them was so small that all he had to do was extend his hand out and somebody would reach back. Had it been any day prior to today, he would have had no reservations, but Sasuke was hesitating again.

* * *

"Sensei! You made it!" a tall girl with black eyes and long brown hair pulled into a side braid waved at them. She was clad in a ridiculously small pair of shorts and a shirt that was short in the front and long in the back. Her hitai-ate was worn as a headband, just like Sakura's.

Beside her there was a boy Sasuke imagined must be Kyohei. His hair was long and white and hung freely over his shoulders, he wore long dark pants with bandages narrowing the leg at the ankle up to the shin, his shirt was red and was covered by a half zipped black coat with all his necessary equipment tucked carefully at his waist. "You're late Sensei," he said with a frown and Sasuke failed to see the resemblance that Naruto mentioned the two boys had with their younger selves.

"Ah, sorry," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck with a grin and turned to look at Sasuke who remained apathetic. "I had this bastard slowing me down," He pointed at Sasuke with his thumb and the raven decided to let it go.

Yuta approached from behind the pair and greeted Naruto, but gave Sasuke a wary eye. "Did you enjoy the lunch we made you last week, Sensei?"

"Very much, thank you guys. You saved my lazy ass from doing any work," He said and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So what do you say we get this started, Sasuke's going to observe us from the sidelines okay?"

The three nodded with sounds of approval and with unspoken words they set off into training exercises. Sasuke noted the level of skill in the three and now could understand why the young girl was being put up for a Jounin promotion. She was fast, strong and highly analytical. She quite often made up for the rashness that her teammates showed. As far as personality went, beyond her quick and smart take on everything she reminded Sasuke most of Naruto with her goofing around and offensive fighting nature. The other two were brooding, they were very skillful but their dislike of each other was clearly getting in the way. This was made apparent by the fact that they took each opportunity they were given to shove the other out of the way.

"Alright," Naruto said once they were finished, his breathing just the slightest bit brisk, whereas Yuta and Kyohei were doubled over panting heavily. "I'm going to grab us some water and then I'm going to tell you exactly where you need to improve," he said.

Sasuke stayed behind, he leaned against one of the placed logs and for the most part ignored the three. They were exceptionally skilled when he viewed them separately, but if the two boys got anywhere near one another all their chemistry seemed to fall apart. He recalled the days on his Genin team, and even though he and Naruto constantly butted heads, collaborating came to them with frightening ease once their skill level had improved.

"I dunno, I think he's kind of cute. What did Naruto-Sensei say his name was again? Yosuke?" Sasuke frowned and fought not to look over at the group that was now discussing him. Typical female, normally Sasuke wouldn't pay any attention but it wasn't the usual conversation.

"Mai, why don't you ever listen? It's Sasuke, you know the Uchiha traitor," it was Yuta talking.

"Traitor? How much of a traitor can he be if Naruto-Sensei trusts him?" Unfamiliar voice, he must have been the one Naruto called Kyohei.

"Whatever, he's gorgeous, right Kyohei?" Mai said and Sasuke managed to keep his eyes closed.

"Does he have breasts?"

"No…"

"Then I don't care," Kyohei said.

"I don't see it."

"You wouldn't, he's not tall, dark, blonde and blue eyed is he Yuta?"

"You talk too much, Mai," Sasuke knew he hated that kid.

"And you don't talk enough, I heard he broke up with his boyfriend,"

"It's none of your business. Quit gossiping, we're here to train, there's a reason we're only getting missions at the academy," Kyohei said shutting the other two up. If Sasuke's word meant anything to the council, he'd gladly give the kid a jounin recommendation.

"Alright! That was pathetic," Naruto said his lip twisted in an annoyed fashion that Sasuke was becoming quickly familiar with since they started spending time together again. "If you had just graduated from the Academy and you were sent to me today, I would have no choice but to fail you with no questions," Naruto handed out water to the three but they were hesitant in taking them. "Except you Mai, the fact that you were doing everything you could to pick up the slack was great!" He said with a grin, all the tension flooding from his shoulders.

"Thanks Sensei," Mai said with a grin before making a mocking face at the other two.

"Oh, before I forget," Naruto looked up at the sky and he nodded, "Yup, Mai you need to get yourself over to the old bag. She needs to see you right about now," Naruto said.

"You mean the Fifth?" Mai sounded surprised before she nodded dumbly and took off.

"You see him," Sasuke blinked when he found a finger in his face and he swatted Naruto's hand away in annoyance. "He's the biggest bastard on the planet, and he and I can work just fine. In fact, I think it's time for a little exercise," Naruto reached up and tightened his headband in determination. "Kyohei, Yuta, you're going to try and put us out of commission."

"Don't bring me into their childish problems," Sasuke muttered.

"Che, try and be helpful jerk."

"Why would we want to train with a traitor? Besides, I heard he can't even use Genjutsu or Ninjutsu. So what's the challenge in that? Even with blockhead over there in my way I could take him down," Yuta said, his arms crossed.

"What the hell was that? You're lucky to ever be put on a team with my awesomeness," Kyohei growled.

"It's cute, Yuta, that you think you're a match for Sasuke. I also think you know nothing about him, so why don't you pipe down and focus on not performing at the level of a child," Naruto said firmly.

Sasuke pinned the teen with a glare and he stood up straight and shucked off his over shirt and let it pool around his waist showing only a sleevless tee underneath. "It's fine, he's going to need to come at me like he wants to kill me if he even wants a chance at beating me anyway," Sasuke said.

"Cocky for a traitor who came back with his tail between his legs."

"Yuta, I'm not going to say it again. Be quiet, or we'll be leaving," Naruto said, Sasuke could hear a hint of anger in his voice.

"Yeah, Yuta. You'd think actually having parents they would have thought to teach you respect before they passed," Kyohei dug.

Yuta wasted no time before he had the other boy pinned and the two were scuffling. "What would you know about having parents, you useless pig! Yours probably didn't even want you," Sasuke understood what Naruto meant now, about them being similar to Naruto and himself. Though Sasuke had spoken words he now regretted, even back then they never displayed this level of animosity.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and he looked at Sasuke with a raised brow before he walked forward. Just as the two had taken out their own weapons to fight Naruto grabbed one Kunai and infused it with Chakra. He stepped right into the middle of the fight, grabbing Yuta's wrist he tossed him to the ground, placing his left foot on the boy's back to keep him there. He swung his other arm and firmly sliced Kyohei's blade in half and pinned him with nothing more than a cold glare. "Enough! I came here to train with my comrades, not to babysit!"

"He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Yuta said, trying to dislodge Naruto's foot and Sasuke watched as the blonde let out a heavy sigh.

"Get up, I guess we'll just have to show you," Naruto said helping the boy up before he stepped back beside Sasuke. "Try not to hurt them too much, alright?" he said with a grin.

Sasuke's brow rose and he uncrossed his arms. "Fine," He couldn't promise his hand wouldn't slip if he got a hold of that Yuta brat though.

"Do you guys want a head start? Because I promise I'll be on the offensive," Naruto said.

"Way to give up your strategy, Moron," Sasuke muttered.

"They need all the help they can get, have you seen them?" Naruto said.

Sasuke watched the other two as they made their way back into the woods and his lip twitched as he waited for Naruto to give him the go ahead. "Fair enough," He said as he watched the two disappear. Even though the two were taking the same tactic, it was clear they were going opposite ways and weren't paying attention to where either was going.

"Hm…that should be enough of an advantage don't you think?" Naruto said and Sasuke looked over to Naruto and saw a wide smirk on his face, his eyes burning with the same anticipation that Sasuke was feeling in his gut as they both shot forward. Sasuke made sure to keep an ear on Naruto's footsteps and an eye out for the pair. He made sure to restrict himself, he refused to let those brats turn him in for a broken seal.

Sasuke walked into the wood just as Naruto started as well. His arms were crossed and he wore a look of indifference on his face. Once they were inside Naruto created a number of clones and sent them in every which way. They continued, listening for any suspicious noise before Naruto chuckled, "Found them," He said a wide smirk on his face as he took off, Sasuke only a few steps behind. When they came to a clearing Naruto stopped and he started looking once more from where he stood and out of the trees came Kyohei with a battle cry, his Kunai out for blood. Naruto twisted his body and grabbing the boy's wrist he sent him off toward Sasuke who swung his leg and tore through the boy's middle before he found himself soaked as the body fell to water.

"Water clone," He muttered, annoyed that on top of having to fight two brats he now had to do it damp. "Aren't we too far away from any rivers?" He speculated.

"You'll get it in a moment I imagine," Naruto said as he took the necessary steps to produce a rasenshuriiken and tossed it toward the trees, clearing a path and Yuta was clearly seen jumping from a tree that fell. They shared a brief look and both knew that Yuta was likely to come after him.

Just as Sasuke expected, Yuta attacked but not in the fashion he imagined. The ground beneath him began to shake and the earth shifted. Sasuke was able to jump out of the way before the ground beneath him attempted to swallow him whole. Looking up he saw the dark haired boy, his hands in a sealed form before he quickly moved to strike the ground, forcing the earth once more to break. This time instead of using his own elemental chakra, he split the ground with his own sheer power. Sasuke's eyes widened and he recognized Sakura's technique. He had no time to think over this fact before the greenery around him began to lose colour and wither before two more water clones were formed, one going after both Naruto and himself. Instead of using Ninjutsu, or a scroll to provide water for the clones utilising the plant life was a silent approach that would serve the boy well on missions where stealth was key. Perhaps Naruto wasn't ill equipped to guide a team of his own. Though they appeared to have lost their way as a team, their individual skills were admirable. If they would get over their differences they could exceed the generation before them. Sasuke braced himself and when he couldn't find a decent opening he began evasive tactics, slipping into the trees until he found a way to land a blow hard enough to dispel the clone. He could hear Naruto back where he had left the other two trying to yell some sense into the pair.

He finally spotted a way in as he led the clone back toward the blonde. Managing to escape the clone's ninjutsu Sasuke led the clone right into Naruto's line of fire, allowing the blonde to rip through it with a Rasengan before they met back to back. "The other one?"

"Lost him, I could find him but it would go against the plan," Naruto said. Sasuke understood, Naruto meant to show how well they worked together he didn't mean to humiliate them by taking them down by himself since Naruto knew their methods of thinking. "Kyohei will probably attack first," He muttered.

"I could have figured that one," Sasuke muttered and smirked when he heard Naruto mutter 'bastard' deep in his throat before Sasuke heard a branch snap. Sure enough the pale haired boy came from the trees, launching himself at the both of them while performing hand seals. He and Naruto jumped apart and when the boy landed where they had once stood an explosion of water formed forcing Sasuke into the trunk of a tree and caused Naruto to fight for his balance. Kyohei forced himself from the ground a moment later into a tree before jumping once more into the air. Naruto was already up on his feet and as he ran toward Sasuke the raven knew what to do. Holding his hand out Naruto grasped it with his own and using the blonde's momentum Sasuke swung him and propelled him into the air after the water user. Using Sasuke's strength with his previous momentum Naruto was able to catch the boy before he attacked from mid-air. Grabbing hold of him Naruto tossed him toward the ground and Sasuke was there to land a decisive blow to the back of the teen's head, stunning him long enough to pin him. Naruto landed a moment later and the grin was back on his face, "One more, he can be pretty tricky though. He likes to be evasive more than offensive since he's the team's medic. We're pretty damn lucky Mai's not here, she has an affinity for lightning" Naruto mumbled as he looked down at the body under Sasuke's foot. The explosion of water fused with an electric current would likely be a deadly thing, Sasuke had to agree.

Just as Naruto stopped talking Yuta sprang forward, the ground shaking and forcing Sasuke's balance to waver. It was as if the dark haired boy was attempting to prove Naruto's analysis of his fighting method wrong he effectively moulded the ground around Naruto to pin his feet in place before rushing after Sasuke. The sheer anger he saw in the boy's face startled Sasuke, he fell back and managed to twist out of the way of the boy's fist. The tree trunk that Yuta hit instead splintered and slowly creaked as it fell. Sasuke was on the run once more and just saw Naruto force a Rasengan to break the ground at his feet to follow after them but Sasuke could see the moron had injured himself in the process by the way Naruto limped. The kunai Yuta wielded came at Sasuke out of rage, it made the movements clumsy. If Yuta had come at him with a sound mind he would have proven to be real trouble. Even though he was blinded by rage he had recognized Sasuke's weak leg and was using every opportunity to exploit it. Sasuke was easily able to deflect the blows and as the boy thrust his arm out Sasuke tipped his head to the side to avoid the blade, using one arm he grabbed Yuta's shoulder, his free hand bent the boy's arm back at the elbow using pain to disarm him. The Kunai fell to the ground with a thud and Sasuke brought his knee swiftly into the teen's gut.

Yuta doubled over with a cough and his arm fell limp. "I will not lose to you Uchiha trash!" He growled out after he had regained his breath and attacked again. Sasuke was easily able to trip the boy, forcing him to stumble to the ground.

"You should concede, it appears your teammate is down," he assumed as Naruto finally caught up, clearly soaking wet from another water clone but the look on the blonde's face clearly said that the other teen was out of commission.

"Never, I don't need him! I won't stop until you're dead! I don't know why anyone would have ever spared you!" He growled out as he swiped at Sasuke's legs. Forming another set of hand seals before Sasuke landed after jumping to avoid the teen's leg. The raven soon found his feet locked in the ground like Naruto's had been. "You're the reason they're dead! You and your abominable excuse for a family!" he said, and he recognized the rage in Yuta's eyes as the same anger that he had felt all those years ago. His parents must have died in the war. Yuta was coming at him again and Sasuke feared for a moment that he would need to utilise his Chakra just to escape. Naruto stepped in just before Sasuke could make a decision, using a familiar tactic Naruto had forced Yuta's arm behind his head so the Kunai was pointed against the teen's neck. It was a similar pose that Naruto had once shared with Kakashi on their first day as a full team.

"You seem to forget my Son is an Uchiha as well, or do you want to kill him too?" Naruto said, his voice was dangerously even.

Yuta stopped his struggling and slumped. "O-of course not!" he protested, "He's nothing like this bastard! You don't understand, none of you understand!" he growled out.

Naruto sighed and after a brief squabble between the two he convinced Yuta to free Sasuke. "Go check on Kyohei for me? He's just over there, I think I need to have a talk with this one," Naruto said, and Sasuke agreed because of the weight of the situation.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he dragged Yuta a small ways farther into the trees.

"How can you trust Kyohei with that traitor?" Yuta said, no longer attempting to fight.

"Because he's my best friend. I would trust him with not only my life, but my son's as well," Naruto said, seeing the shock on the boy's face and he sighed heavily. "Why are you so suddenly concerned for Kyohei's wellbeing anyway?"

"Don't think too much on it, he's a fool and always will be," Yuta muttered.

"Why is he a fool?" Naruto asked, his weight resting on one foot.

Yuta was quiet and his foot scuffed the ground, "He mopes around like he knows what it's like to be in pain," Yuta muttered. "He thinks we're the same and is too stupid to see that we're not," He muttered.

Naruto sighed again and he leaned back against a tree, his arms crossed. "You know Sasuke's parents were murdered right? In fact, his entire family was slaughtered on the same night, save for the ones involved. I think he understands more than anyone you know how you feel. He was left with only his brother and you only have your younger sister left," Naruto said. "The war might have taken your parents from you, but Sasuke is part of the reason you and your sister are alive. You'd do well to remember it," Naruto said.

"Yeah, right."

"Furthermore, I've had this conversation before. No, you and Kyohei are nothing alike and in fact, Sasuke said the same thing to me once. I promise you, Kyohei might not know how you feel, but as someone who knows what it feels like to both live your life completely alone, and have your most precious people ripped from your life because of war and uneasy times I promise you they hurt equally the same. You don't know how it feels to be alone the same as Kyohei doesn't know what it means to lose, you two should be working to keep the other from feeling both, not fighting because you're too blind to see that you might not be the same, but you're definitely cut from the same cloth. Sasuke realizes the difference and similarities between us now, as much as I do, and we only grow stronger because of it," Naruto said, taking a deep breath as he finished. He stood and watched the expressions flit over the boy's face and knew the teen was at least thinking about what he had said.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered and Naruto chuckled briefly.

"One last thing, Sasuke didn't kill your parents. Unfortunate circumstances did, and those directly responsible are dead and are far beyond your reach. You dare try and inflict your judgement on Sasuke again and I will have to go to drastic measures. You attack Sasuke, and you're attacking me and my family," he said with a frown. "Now get out of here. You tore up the training grounds, go restore it and find Mai with Kyohei. I'll catch up and we'll talk about the training session in depth then."

"Yes Sensei," Yuta's response was delayed, but he could hear in his voice that the message was received.

Yuta took off and Naruto lazily made his way back to where Sasuke was leaning against a tree with a bored expression. "Finished?"

"Mn, yeah I am," Naruto said as he began to walk back toward the field smiling when Sasuke followed after him.

"What's with him?" Sasuke asked, though they both knew.

Naruto looked up at the sky through the clutter of leaves overhead. "Just another stubborn boy, not seeing the real world. I think he gets it now though," Naruto said.

"What exactly?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto could hear the annoyance in his voice and Naruto chuckled before he stopped to look back at the Raven. He stepped closer and dragged Sasuke into a hasty but passionate kiss. When Sasuke's hands rested at his sides his tongue swept along the Raven's bottom lip, but he pulled back before they could get carried away. "That I'm the only one allowed to threaten my Uchiha," Naruto muttered against Sasuke's lip before he turned and headed back toward the training grounds, leaving Sasuke mildly stunned.

Seeing Yuta make a genuine attempt on Sasuke's life had only served to obliterate any doubt Naruto had been feeling about their relationship. Sasuke was his to protect, his to love and he'd be damned if he'd let anyone ruin it this time. Not even Naruto himself.

"Like your threats mean anything," Sasuke mumbled.

"Sasuke! Can you just let me have this one? I just saved your ass you bastard," Naruto whined.

"I told you to leave my ass out of this."

"That's no fair, your ass is gorgeous," Naruto said and smirked at the flush on Sasuke's pale skin just before he felt the other's hand slap the back of his head. "Ow,jerk," He muttered.

"Moron."

They caught up with the team a few minutes later. When they approached Mai came forward filled with energy. Naruto stepped back when she came toward him with his hands up but it didn't deter the girl from jumping up and hugging him. "Sensei! I've been promoted, I've entered Jounin ranks!" She said with a grin.

"Congratulations Mai," Naruto said with a grin, happy he was able to both keep his balance and that Mai had made the cut. "We should go out to celebrate later! I take it I'm going to be briefed for a mission soon?" He said with a grin.

Mai nodded, "I'm going to lead a mission and you're supposed to supervise," She said as she finally slid down before turning back to her team who were having trouble trying to react. Naruto imagined that they were happy, but disappointed that they weren't even close to being promoted yet.

"Where are we going to go tonight Sensei?" Yuta came forward and he was about to step even closer when Sasuke's hand shot out and holding Yuta's forehead he pushed him backward.

"That's more than close enough," Sasuke growled and Naruto stared at him with an odd expression.

"Keep your hands off my students, bastard," Naruto grumped. "We'll go to the usual place, its Mai's favourite anyway, my treat."

"Che, let's go to Ichiraku's," Sasuke said, and Naruto was too excited with the prospect of food and a celebratory dinner later on to notice Sasuke's hand firmly on his elbow urging him away.

"We'll see you later Sensei!" Mai called, clearly still excited and Naruto made note that he had to find her a gift before dinner.

"You did say Ichiraku's right? No games?" Naruto said with a grin on his face.

"Moron…yeah, call it a date or whatever," he waved his hand, Naruto didn't hear the snort that came from Yuta before they were out of earshot.

"Yes!" Naruto didn't really hear the date part before he thrust his arms in the air. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and made an attempt to run toward Ichiraku's before Sasuke stopped him. He blinked before Sasuke swung him around and propped him up onto his back. Naruto flushed, "What are you doing?" He mumbled.

"You shouldn't run on that ankle, you should have gotten that brat to look at it," He mumbled.

"That brat was going through some shit, he didn't need to worry about me. I'll ask him later, besides it will probably be healed by then anyway. Put me down," Naruto said.

"Che, I think not," Sasuke said and he began to walk forcing Naruto to quiet down and accept it. He rested his chin on Sasuke's shoulder and noted that the citizens didn't seem to say anything, and most looked on with a sweet expression on their face, save for the few that knew or cared who Sasuke was. They remained silent anyhow.

When they arrived Sasuke insisted on putting him down on the chair, "I'm not invalid! I can sit down on a bloody chair you bastard! Er…sorry old man," Naruto grinned at the owner who just waved it off.

"You've done more than enough to earn yourself the rights to curse," the old man said with a chuckle as he got started on Naruto's usual. Pleased when Sasuke said he would simply have the same.

"You could just say thank you, moron," Sasuke said as he sat down.

"What? No way, and I'll forgive you if you treat me," he grinned.

"One bowl."

"Two, or no deal," Naruto pouted.

Sasuke sighed, "Fine, two,"

"Yes!" Naruto let out a laugh and shifted on his seat. "Thanks for coming along Sasuke. I think once we go through the exercise at dinner, they might be able to understand what I'm trying to teach them," he said with a small smile.

"You should have let me smack that dark haired kid around a little more," he muttered.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "His name is Yuta, and you two are so alike, it's frightening," Naruto said.

"Hn," Sasuke dismissed the conversation clearly not seeing the resemblance or not wanting to.

"What did you do to your knee?" Naruto asked then, curious.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said as his bowl was placed in front of him. He broke his chopsticks and took a moment to slide them together to rid them of splinters before he ate.

"Yeah right, if Yuta could see it as mad as he was then you know anyone could," Naruto said as he simply got straight to eating.

"Broke my knee when I was out on the road, and I didn't get around to fixing it immediately since I was in the middle of nowhere and alone. I guess that even after I managed to find someone to tend to it, it never really healed correctly," Sasuke shrugged before taking in another mouthful.

Naruto watched him quietly with a furrowed brow, wondering if maybe Sakura or the old hag could take a look at it if he asked. "Does it hurt?" Naruto asked quietly.

"I guess. When it rains mostly, but I can still walk properly," Sasuke shrugged. His tone suggested that he knew it would likely worsen with time.

Yes, Naruto decided he was going to have to ask, but it might have to wait until after his next mission since it would likely take some convincing. "Thanks for lunch Sasuke."

"Hn," Sasuke finished his meal just in time for Naruto to order his second bowl, which was waiting for him. Naruto picked up a piece of pork and held it out for Sasuke with a grin and refused to pull back until Sasuke took it, flushing deeply now that they were in public. "You're an idiot," Sasuke muttered.

"Probably," Naruto grinned and finished his second bowl in record time before vehemently protesting Sasuke's demand to carry him home…he lost.

* * *

They decided that once Naruto arrived back from his three week mission that they would meet again for dinner. After they had eaten a specially requested "Grandma's style" curry dinner they found themselves on the back deck, overlooking the garden. It was a place Sasuke had no problem assuming was their favourite area on the entire compound, since they spent a little time out there watching the birds pick at the plants. It was beautiful. There was a knock at the door and Naruto was forced to step away and once he was gone Naoyuki leaned against Sasuke's back, his arms slung over Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke didn't mind, and that surprised him because he enjoyed his personal space. "Dad?" Naoyuki still refused to call him that in front of Naruto even though he knew the blonde had told Naoyuki it was okay some time ago.

"What's on your mind?" Sasuke asked, looking over his shoulder at the young boy.

"Do you think you'll ever be allowed to go out without a baby sitter?" he asked, looking up at the sky.

"I don't have a baby sitter," Sasuke grumbled and turned away.

"What do you call uncle Neji then?"

"A pain in my ass," Sasuke muttered.

"That's a bad word," Naoyuki mumbled and he moved to sit beside Sasuke, their sides pressed close together. No, Sasuke determined that Naoyuki had absolutely no sense of personal space, but didn't care. "Do you though? Or does it always have to be me you and someone else?"

"I don't know Naoyuki. I made some bad decisions when I was younger…this is my time out," He said trying to speak in vocabulary that the boy would understand, even though his tongue seemed to stumble over the phrase time out.

"Why did you leave?" Naoyuki asked as his fingers began to pick at a splintering wood panel.

Sasuke was tense, no wings, free falling and Naruto wasn't there to save him from this conversation, the conversation he didn't want to have least of all with his son. "Because I was a fool," Sasuke said.

"You don't want to tell me. You like keeping secrets…" Naoyuki said and Sasuke watched him quietly. He wondered what it was like, living with someone like Naruto. The blonde wore most things on his sleeve, the only thing Sasuke knew Naruto kept under wraps was Sasuke's existence from the child…he could assume he kept adult topics away from the boy, but there probably wasn't much else that stayed a secret between them. He didn't know how to be like that, just sitting here, forcing himself to talk with the boy had him feeling like he was floundering in deep water.

"Naoyuki…when you're older. I don't think either of us are ready for this conversation," Sasuke tried again.

The boy looked at him, and Sasuke was once more taken aback at how blue his eyes really were, and how much they resembled Naruto' s. "Promise?"

Sasuke was quiet for a long time before he heard Naoyuki start to fidget as he drew it out. He had momentarily forgotten about the boy's aversion to silence. "Yeah, I promise," he said before wrapping his arm around the boy, his fingers combing through the hair on the side of his head.

"You have them too…don't you?" Naoyuki said, and he leaned into Sasuke's side.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific, Naoyuki," Sasuke said as he looked down. The expression on Naoyuki's face was enough to break Sasuke's heart. His brow was furrowed as he looked off into the garden, his fingers were fidgeting with the hem of his shirt and the teeth on his bottom lip appeared to be holding back a dam waiting to burst open.

"The eyes that everyone wants…" he said, absent mindedly rubbing at his left eye. "The ones that everyone wants to steal."

Sasuke was tense for a moment, and Naoyuki shifted against his side, obviously sensing his discomfort. This had to be it, the moment Naruto had mentioned…Naoyuki trusted him enough to welcome him into the nightmare he had lived through. "Yeah…yeah, I do," He said quietly.

"I hate them, I wish I could pull them out and feed them to the birds so people would stop worrying about them," his fingers were fisting in his shirt now with the morbid picture he painted. Sasuke frowned as he considered the words, he would be the first one to admit that the Uchiha bloodline was a curse. They had the potential to be something so great but were tainted with the foolish feuds of the past. It was something Sasuke thought he'd bear alone until he died. He never thought of the implications of having a child might be, whether or not it was fair to inflict such a curse on a child. Nao was shaking by this point, Sasuke reached down and he gathered the boy's hands in his, but made sure to keep the child securely wrapped in his arm. He held them gently and his thumbs massaged gentle circles onto the back of Nao's hands.

"I know," He whispered softly. "It's not easy to be an Uchiha, I'm sorry you've had to endure hardship because of it," his hands continued to gently massage Naoyuki's hands, but they still trembled.

Naoyuki shook his head, but his hands remained relaxed. "No! It's not an 'I'm sorry' thing! I didn't like it, they had their ugly hands on my eyes and they were trying to dig them out! If it wasn't for Nana my eyelids would have never been normal again! Do you know what that's like? To have someone hold you down and try and tear your face apart after hours of telling you that you can't eat, you can't talk to your family, that your special people don't care because if they did they'd be here, they'd have saved you by now. That they're going to pull your fingers and toes off and then cut out your tongue before they kill you while they're hurting you anyway!"

"No…" He said softly unable to resist the urge to pull his son into his arms fully and he's vaguely aware that there are tears seeping into his shirt, he's vaguely aware of Naoyuki's small hands digging angry crescents into his wrists because the child refused to let go of his hands. "No, I don't know what it's like to feel that," He whispered. He had always been completely in control of everything he did, ever since that night when he was eight he had made sure that no one would ever have a say in his fate again…it was him against his brother, against the world and even when the world had the odd way to throw his ambitions back in his face he had made sure to take hold of the reigns and calm the beast that was life. All because he knew what it was like to be helpless, to be unable to help the ones you love, and why bother because they'd leave you anyway? So Sasuke had only helped himself.

"But I understand," He confessed.

"They all understand," he muttered quietly, and Sasuke found that Naruto was right, he did feel like an idiot.

Naoyuki was born and raised without his influence, and no matter the fact that his son was beautiful, kind, and absolutely selfless just like Naruto…he was very much like Sasuke in the ways that hindered. Naoyuki hated helplessness and vulnerability just as much as he did, and Sasuke was ready to force a lifestyle change on the boy's shoulders just so he would be comfortable. He felt a darkness starting to close around him that he hadn't felt since the war and he was afraid he would take his son with him this time if he didn't leave.

"They all say things will get better, they say it will be okay again but I can't sleep at night. It's been a really long time and I still can't sleep, and it's still not okay again, it's not better and I believed them. The only one who makes sense is dad…but it hurts him too and I don't want him to be sad like this because he's been sad too much already…" No...Sasuke couldn't leave. He wasn't here to preserve himself anymore. He would never forgive himself if he backed out now.

"It does. I know it doesn't seem like it, and it can take a life time…but one day you'll find something, or someone that makes things better, and the pain hurts a little less every day until you wonder how you ever let it bring you to that place where you're alone and scared," he said.

"You're sure?" Naoyuki was no longer so frantic. "How?"

"Because I never thought I'd be okay again…but I found it," he said, hugging the boy tighter.

"What was it?" Naoyuki pulled back to look up at him and Sasuke swore he could see a scar over the crease of the boy's lid now that he knew what to look for and he had to pause a moment to recompose himself.

"You of course," He whispered. He had found it, he knew he had it in his arms right now, that something, that someone. It had all started with that insufferable blonde inside, and Naoyuki was that extra push that was fighting his demons for him. Sasuke had finally felt like he might be able to move forward, and if he could do it, if the universe somehow decided he deserved it, he knew he had to help Naoyuki find a way, because his son deserved so much more than Sasuke ever would.

Nao's thin brow furrowed as he processed Sasuke's answer and he shook his head. "But all I do is yell at you…"

"Doesn't matter, even though you probably shouldn't," Sasuke let out a soft, sad laugh. "You're all I need."

"Dad said that too…" cornflower blue eyes were wide, and glassy but the tears had stopped and Sasuke did what he could to wipe the tracks from the boy's cheeks.

"Smartest thing your dad has ever said…and probably the most honest," Sasuke assured him. "You know that when you're upset you can always go to your dad. That's what he would want more than anything, because the last thing he wants is you to be hurting. Your dad's really good about those sorts of things," Sasuke said.

"But, he does it all the time…even he needs a break."

"You said there was nothing, no space between you two right? Then it doesn't matter, you go to him because not saying anything will only make it worse," Sasuke didn't want this fear to fester inside of Naoyuki the way his hate had convinced Sasuke to leave in search of power. He hoped that maybe Naruto could love Naoyuki more than the boy had capacity to hate.

"Okay…" Naoyuki said and he leaned back into Sasuke.

"Naoyuki, I think we should train you to use your Sharingan," Sasuke said and he braced himself for the inevitable struggle that Naoyuki posed.

"No! I don't want it, I don't want to use it! You can't make me," Naoyuki stopped moving when he realized it was useless.

"Naoyuki, just hear me out…The Sharingan is a very powerful ability. You need to protect it, because if you don't it might fall into the wrong hands, and they'd go on to hurt even more people. I could teach you how to protect yourself. Is that not why you decided to enter the academy?" Sasuke asked.

"I…wanted to…It used to be because I wanted to protect myself, but sometimes…I think I want to protect others," Naoyuki said and Sasuke was about to try again when the boy piped up again. "Okay…we'll do this your way," Naoyuki said and he shifted his weight until he was curled in Sasuke's lap, and looked up at the sky.

"Okay," Sasuke said softly. "But not tonight, we'll start as soon as your dad and I talk about it, and I promise he'll say yes," Sasuke was sure of that much.

"You know? I'm glad I met you…dad," Naoyuki said softly. Sasuke smiled and began to brush his fingers through Naoyuki's hair gently.

"Me too."

"I'm not really scared of cows…" Naoyuki said, but he remained calm this time, Sasuke could hear no hints of panic. "There was a guy there…where they kept me. His eyes were big and round and he sat there and stared at me…"

"Like…cow eyes," It wasn't a question, but Naoyuki nodded anyway.

"I don't like it," Sasuke was sorry he had ever thought it was a ridiculous fear. "He got away, they never found him," it made sense now.

"I'm sorry," he continued to pet through the boy's hair.

"I'll find a way to be okay too," Naoyuki said and his eyes closed. Sasuke could imagine the boy was tired, and it was short moments before the boy's weight went completely lax and his breathing evened out.

They sat like that for some time, and just as Sasuke dipped his head to press a kiss to the boy's brow he heard Naruto step onto the deck. He carefully stood, sure not to wake Naoyuki and he turned to look at the blonde. The look on Naruto's face was serious and sad, so much that the blonde wouldn't meet Sasuke's eyes. Naruto walked up and stood in front of him and after a moment he was able to gently transfer Naoyuki from Sasuke's arms to his own. It was only then that their gazes met and Naruto slowly backed away. He heard the footsteps disappear into the house, and after an eternity he came back. He looked like he wanted to speak, but Sasuke didn't let him. He stepped forward and slipped his arms around the other man's rib cage, hanging on like Naruto was going to be the one to save him. The body in his embrace tensed for a fraction of a moment and his breath caught in his throat before Naruto granted him the warmth of his arms too. Sasuke buried his face in the crook of the blonde's neck and held on, his eyes closed tight and he willed himself to at least remain dry eyed. "I'm an idiot," He said on the tail of a whisper only loud enough for Naruto to hear. It was their secret.

"No…you did a good thing today Sasuke," Naruto whispered before Sasuke felt the blonde's hand stroke soothingly down his spine and it forced his own hands to fist in Naruto's shirt.

"You've felt like this for so long…It hasn't even been a night and I feel…I feel so—"

"—you're not useless, you've done more for him than I've been able to in a long time," Naruto confessed as his fingers found their way into Sasuke's hair, and soothed the Raven like a child. "I owe you everything Sasuke," He said softly, "and a little more tonight," it was rich, considering Naruto insisted the opposite on multiple occasions in the past.

Sasuke breathed in the scent of summer on a cool winter night, and couldn't help but think about what a beautiful lie that was. "Let me stay…just tonight," Sasuke said it like an order and never would admit it was a plea. "We'll sleep," and forget everything Sasuke had done wrong, everything Naruto had done wrong. They'd forget everything that had foolishly kept them apart, forget everything that continued to keep them apart, just for a little while.

"Okay," Naruto breathed into his ear and sometime over the span of the night they were seated on the deck, leaning against a support beam with Sasuke's heavy weight on Naruto's shoulder sleeping and the blonde was seated, staring at the night sky with his fingers in Sasuke's hair until dawn.

* * *

Naruto had gone out on another mission, Sasuke was aware of it, but he could always tell since Naoyuki tended to spend almost all his time with him. He had heard little mention of Nara in the past couple of months, but he could tell with Naoyuki's birthday approaching slowly that he was missing some of the normality that had been established over the last year. Nara had been avoiding them to an extent, though when Naoyuki asked he did make time to spend with the boy, and Sasuke didn't say anything because now he knew better. It was unlikely that the shadow user would show up to any get together they had. It was after school hours and Sasuke imagined that the boy would show up any minute, but when a half hour went by and there was no sign of him Sasuke grew worried. He couldn't worry for long though, he was about to begin a search when an explosion rocked the ground and Sasuke's eyes widened and he made his way toward the door.

"Get back inside!" It was the Hyuuga who had also come out to inspect.

"What's going on?" Sasuke's first instinct was the wonder where Naoyuki really was.

"It looks like an invasion. Go back inside Sasuke!" He said again. "That's an order, don't force me to put you out of commission," he barked and Sasuke hesitantly stepped back, but didn't let his expression change from indifference. The Hyuuga made off toward the explosion and Sasuke huffed as he made his way back outside. The man couldn't keep him from his son, not when he was late and there was an attack on the town.

Sasuke made his way through the people, and shinobi that knew who Sasuke was took no time to bother him as he ran toward the academy. He ran into an odd man with a score through his forehead protector, a previous citizen of rain country. "It's the Uchiha! So the rumors are true!" Sasuke's eyes widened, he hadn't imagined that they would be here for him. "You're going to die!" The man called as he began to form seals and Sasuke hastened, using all his strength as he barrelled into the man, uncaring that his Sharingan was being utilised for everyone to see. The man forced himself back to his feet and took after Sasuke, raining any attack he could down on Sasuke until the Raven had no other choice. The man ignited in a black flame and once Sasuke was positive the man was dead he extinguished it and continued on his way. He took the roof tops to ensure he'd miss nothing.

"Dad!" came a childish scream and Sasuke followed the noise, his heart racing in an unusual fear he hadn't felt before. When he found Naoyuki the boy was standing in front of a young girl that Sasuke recognized from their field trip. She was cowering in the corner that they had been backed into and there was a man with sunken in cheeks advancing on them. A short distance away another explosion rocked the ground, sending Naoyuki off balance.

"I've found you," The man said, his voice was low. "We'll have your eyes this time," The man said and Sasuke growled as he shot forward, chidori crackling in his palm. He didn't want to get close to the man, but if he used anything else Naoyuki might suffer collateral damage.

"The hell you will!" Sasuke said as he took aim, but before he could reach the man he caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye. A gust of wind whipped against his arm before a woman knocked him over with her full weight. Even once Sasuke was down she didn't relent, Sasuke saw a blade at her back and his eyes narrowed. "I suggest you stand back," Sasuke said, his eyes dark and red as he glared at her. He didn't care about his psychological profile with Konoha, as long as he could keep the boy safe.

"Not a chance, we've almost got the Uchiha eyes in hand. Your death will be our reward, murderer," she said with a smirk on her full lips.

"I'd like to see you try," Sasuke said simply and was pleased when the woman reached for her blade. His eye remained on Naoyuki who was attempting to fend the man off, effectively breaking one of the man's fingers only to be back handed roughly and Sasuke cursed. He blocked the woman's first blow with his forearm and forced his shoulder into her ribs. He swung and his elbow cracked against her jaw breaking her focus in time for Sasuke to turn and disarm her. Grabbing hold of the blade he turned it on its original wielder with a smirk on his face. "Keep your hands off him!" Sasuke growled, I have no qualms with killing either of you," He said as he swung at the woman again, cursing the fact that this was not his blade, that it was much too light and delicate and he could not use his skills to their full potential.

"I thought you said his chakra was sealed," The woman hissed at the man who was just about to strike at Naoyuki when a streak of yellow flashed across Sasuke's vision, it would seem that Naruto was back from his mission a couple hours early.

"I guess you were misinformed," Naruto said, a Kunai in hand pressed to the man's throat. Naruto had distracted Sasuke just enough to miss her reaching for the pouch at her waist, pulling out a Kunai she took aim for the blonde who had just enough time to jump out of the way before a third man entered the fight. He was muscular and Naruto was just able to duck out of the way from where his fist landed against one of the buildings, splintering the wood. "Fuck!" He exclaimed, but the look of pure anger and determination didn't leave his face as he created a few clones to discern the large man's ability. The man was fast, even for his size and was able to find Naruto's real form by cracking his knuckles across the blonde's jaw, sending him to the ground just as another explosion to the south rocked the land.

"Dad! You've gotta help!" Naoyuki said, the odd man had Naoyuki's wrists and was holding him up so only his toes were on the ground, the young girl was running in the distance and Sasuke recalled Naoyuki telling her to get to safety because the man wanted him, not her. His voice was wracked and mangled with fear. Sasuke saw the woman duck around, she had taken to the air Sasuke could only guess for speed.

Naruto had gotten up, his body swaying from the force of the hit. "S-something's wrong," he muttered but he took off after the woman after kicking at the large man's chest. Sasuke swung and tossed the woman's blade at the building, embedding it deep into the panels so Naruto could use it to launch himself into the air after the woman as well. He had a rasenshuriiken in his hands and when he met the woman she was unable to escape in midair as Naruto's attack destroyed her body in an impressively horrific display. When he landed he was about to head straight for Naoyuki but paused in mid step, "S-sasuke…" the blonde fell to the ground a moment after clutching at himself with a pained groan.

"Naruto!" Sasuke had been occupying the large man, using his momentum and weight against him. He was making steady progress, but steady wasn't what he needed. He let out a growl that almost bubbled in his throat just before his Chidori current ran throughout his body, disabling the man to free himself from his grasp. He picked himself up with a stumble but before he could reach Naoyuki he heard a crackle as his son created a fireball worthy of any adult in the Uchiha clan could, engulfing the man in flames and allowing Naoyuki to be dropped his Sharingan slowly flickering away as he stared at the man burning to death right in front of him.

Naoyuki scrambled away and Sasuke had him in his arms a moment later. He scanned briefly for others before he looked over his state, "Good…" he said without breath before he turned to Naruto.

"Dad!" Naoyuki squirmed out of Sasuke's grip and they both made their way over, Sasuke pulled the blonde into his lap and checked his forehead. He hadn't thought the man had struck him that hard, but even as he tried to rouse the other man Naruto's eyes didn't flutter but his temperature was normal.

"He's going to be okay, right dad?" Naoyuki sounded out of breath and frightened.

Several bodies fell around them and Sasuke only paid attention long enough to see that they were Konoha nin, one of them he recognized as the Inuzuka and his large dog, another was the Hyuuga. The enemy that had been on the ground was fleeing and Sasuke had an overwhelming need to chase after him and would have if he would have been given a chance. He regretted his attention span when he felt arms grab him around his shoulder and he began to struggle. "Are you insane? Can't you see that he's hurt and the real enemy is getting away?" Sasuke growled out before he felt blunt fingers pressing against his flesh and piece by piece he felt his chakra being locked away by that damnable byakugan. He hung limply in the arms of one of the nin and glared at the Hyuuga.

"I told you to stay in your apartment, I can't save you from this," He said, his expression grim as two of the unidentified men went after the fleeing enemy. "Get Naruto to the medics, I have to take him to the fifth. The enemy is retreating," He said to the Inuzuka who just nodded.

"And Naoyuki?" Sasuke growled.

"Akamaru will take him somewhere safe," Inzuka said, his words acting as both reassurance and as an order as the large white dog padded over to Naoyuki, laying down for him to climb on his back.

"No! You have to let Sasuke go! We have to go with dad!" the tears that had been glistening on the boy's waterline since the beginning were falling now.

"It's out of my hands, go with Akamaru, now," The Hyuuga had never sounded so forceful.

"It's just a dog!" Sasuke snarled.

"Best Nin-Dog Konoha has ever seen. He's in safe hands, Neji take him I can't stay any longer. He said as he had managed to balance Naruto on his back and took off.

Naoyuki watched as Naruto was taken away and for a moment looked like he was going to try and go after him. "Don't hurt him!" Naoyuki pleaded before he climbed onto Akamaru's back and the canine was up and soaring through the damaged city in an instant.

"They're not going to like this Sasuke," the Hyuuga said as he urged Sasuke forward, forced to bind his hands once Sasuke could stand again.

"They never do," Sasuke muttered as his eyes wandered to the direction Naruto had left in, a sinking feeling in his gut. He needed Naruto be safe, because he had to take care of Naoyuki. Even if Sasuke never saw the boy again, even if he had just signed his death sentence he would do it all over again if it meant even for a second he had given Naoyuki the ability to save himself.

* * *

Naruto's eyes fluttered open a short while later. When they did he was in a white room, his head was pounding and when he made an attempt to sit up with urgency his body only made it an inch off the mat before he was lying down again. "N-naoyuki," He whispered, his mouth felt dry. He remembered hearing the explosions as his team neared the gates. The lack of guards at the gate was unsettling and Naruto had quickly ordered Yuta who was carrying an injured Kyohei on his back to the medics to help where he could while letting Mai go in the direction to make sure her family was okay. He didn't know what was going on, but much like Mai he had the need to find his family. Seeing both Sasuke and Naoyuki in distress had enraged him, he could still feel that anger, but there was also panic because he couldn't remember saving them…all he remembered was feeling faint.

"He's safe, Konoha's safe, the casualties were few, but severe. Fortunately everyone is either being stabilized or is being tended to right now," it was Sakura's voice, he could feel her delicate but deadly hands prodding around his body.

"N'sas'ke?" his eyes fluttered open and things began to focus.

"Forget that Naruto," She said softly. "I have something to tell you," She murmured her face looked grim.

"What's wrong?" He croaked.

"I've been scanning you to the best of my ability, trying to find out what's wrong. Naruto…you were about two months pregnant," She said.

Naruto's eyes widened and he tried to lift his head in spite of how his body protested. "Were? But I couldn't…" He felt like his world was falling out from underneath him. He had taken precautions to ensure this wouldn't happen because his body couldn't sustain a child by itself. It made sense why Kurama had been so quiet, why any wounds left behind after the initial healing from a medic closed so slowly and why he had been so incredibly exhausted and weak as of late. It was because Kurama had been focusing all his efforts on trying to keep the child alive, and Naruto did nothing but do the opposite. He was a failure.

"Yeah, a miscarriage...you were due to see Tsunade again weren't you? It seems her method failed a little sooner than expected. Your body took on too much stress Naruto. You've been on missions and…I have to extract it, there's nowhere for the tissue to go," She said.

"Fuck I know what I did! I did this okay?…it…can we not treat this like a fucking experiment?" He said, feeling tears prick at his eyes as he fell back, his arm hung over his eyes as they slowly slid down the sides of his face and into his hair as he quaked.

"I'm sorry, it's not your fault you know?" She said softly and began to talk Naruto through the procedure. He hated that she had to perform the same actions that she did with poisons, using her chakra to extract the evil from people's bodies. She told him that the symptoms of pregnancy might remain afterwards. He was ecstatic, the sickness without the reward, it was no more than he deserved.

"Do you know…who?" He asked just before she started.

"Wh-No…there's no real way for me to tell. That's Karin's area and she has others to tend to right now," Sakura's expression was surprise and sympathy, her expression hurt so damn much Naruto had to look away. He wished that there was someone else, anyone else to look at him. Someone he didn't know, someone who wouldn't look at him like that, someone who didn't care.

"Just do it," he said, his tone was cold.

"You need to calm down," He murmured.

"Don't tell me to be calm! Not now!" Naruto barked, relieved when she said nothing more.

**TBC…**

Don't hurt me?

I really wanted this up just after Christmas but this chapter had to go through a few drafts and I had to sit down and seriously think of how I wanted to organize and tweak everything. I'm sure there will be questions, or observations and I think that the biggest one will be answered next chapter. If you have any questions and it doesn't interfere with the plot, I'd be happy to try and answer them if you're not all rage quitting on me right now 3 Classes are back in session, so my previous weekly updates will probably slow down a bit, but I hope chapters won't take more than a month to get through. I hope the New Year is going well for everyone!

Please leave me a review and thank you to those who have already and those who have faved and alerted!

KoriC


	10. Chapter 9

**Warnings:** Language, Angst, H/C, Slash/Yaoi, Mpreg, Alternating POV, Possible spoilers until chapter 617

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable from the Naruto world belongs to their respective owners.

Chapter 9

_"Can't find another way around_  
_And I don't want to hear the sound_  
_Of losing what I never found"_

—Jason Walker

The next time that Naruto opened his eyes he was in a hospital room. His eyes were half lidded and there was no moment of convoluted existence. He remembered everything that happened the day before. Naoyuki was safe, that should be all that mattered, but he wanted the boy with him. He needed to see Naoyuki to believe. Regardless of that, Naruto felt helpless. He knew this could happen, it was the reason he had decided that Naoyuki would be the only child he'd have, because going through pregnancy had been more difficult than almost anything else in his life. He had been told years ago that the chances that carrying to term were incredibly low, he didn't even make it halfway through this one. They had told him that they could make it permanent, there was ultimately risk, but chances were everything would go well. Naruto had considered it, and he had agreed, but every time a date had been secured he would find a way to get out of it. Naruto didn't like absolutes, not negative ones.

He stared at the ceiling and he sucked in a deep breath. As he exhaled he felt like he was floating, he didn't know which way was out of this hell. His thoughts drifted to Sasuke and his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't even think of what he was going to tell the other man, because he didn't even know if Sasuke was going to be okay. He tried to rationalize, he had to stay here, he had to remain in his own mind because he had things he needed to fix. He snorted at that thought, how could he fix anything when he had a fissure through his being.

Before he could fall any deeper he heard the door open and saw a face he didn't expect. Shikamaru stood there eyes pointed downward. Naruto's eyes followed the brunette's gaze and he saw Naoyuki there, with dark circles under his eyes. His hair was in disarray, so much more than usual and the bottom of his shirt was stretched out. Naruto envisioned the boy, tugging and pulling at the hem of his shirt, something he often done when he was upset, but Naruto was still relieved to see him.

"Daddy?" Naoyuki said quietly as he stepped into the room. When he saw Naruto awake he quickly ran over and scrambled onto the bed. Naruto could tell he wanted to come closer, but was trying to stay back in case he hurt Naruto.

"Hey kiddo," Naruto said softly, his voice was raspier than normal from disuse. He was a little sore, he was tired and nauseous, but he didn't know if he could pin all those sensations to the procedure. He was there under observation, but chances were he could walk out this very moment. "Come on, get over here," Naruto put on a smile, it was a familiar motion, but in this moment familiarity wasn't comforting. But he did know he needed Naoyuki close, he needed him right there because anywhere out of his sight wasn't safe.

Naoyuki bit his lip and after only a moment of hesitation she crawled over the bed and slung his arm over Naruto's collar. The blonde rested his hand on the back of Nao's head and closed his eyes and felt warmth. Naoyuki was safe, it needed to be the only thing that mattered. "You okay?" Naoyuki asked.

No…his spirit was screaming it, it was crying out in desperation, it needed everyone to know that he was falling apart inside. "Of course," Naruto grinned. "Are you?" He asked softly when Naoyuki pulled back. He ran his fingers through the boy's hair, there was a bruise on his cheek and his brow furrowed. "Are you hurt?" just a he wanted to scream in agony, he just as desperately needed Naoyuki to be okay.

"Just this," He said softly, his hands touching the warm mark on his face. "They got away again," Naoyuki said, his voice cracking and Naruto shifted in his bed. He sat and pulled Naoyuki close.

"I'm sorry baby," He whispered. "Not all of them," he said like it would matter.

"They took Sasuke away. I don't know where, no one will say anything to me," Naruto wish he could tell him, if only he knew.

"I'll…I don't know Naoyuki, but I'll find out, and we'll talk. I promise," He whispered. His eyes travelled around the familiar room and settled on Shikamaru, who made no secret that he was observing them. He was likely trying to gather the variables, trying to plug in some sort of formula that would tell him what Naruto was feeling, what had happened.

"Hi…" Naruto said softly. It took amazing will power to control his voice, to not let it break, to not let Naoyuki know that something bigger was going on other than what Naoyuki had experienced yesterday, because how do you tell him…do you tell him? Or should you let him live in blissful ignorance. Bliss…bliss was a nice option, because his son had been through enough.

"How are you feeling?" Shikamaru's eyes were on his face.

"Tired…but I'll probably be released soon," Naruto said, stroking through Naoyuki's hair.

"Iruka's leg is broken, and Kakashi has been sent on recon," Shikamaru said, letting Naruto know why Naoyuki was with him. "Sakura has been working back to back shifts with the influx of patients," he finished.

Naruto nodded and wanted to apologize, because Shikamaru wasn't his, and the fact that he ever was, was becoming a distant memory. He wasn't his to care for, he wasn't his to rely on, and though Naoyuki was free to spend time with him, Shikamaru didn't have to say yes. Even though Naruto had a distinct sense that Shikamaru had been avoiding him, avoiding them, Shikamaru still said yes. He deserved more than Naruto had ever given him. "Thank you," he said softly before Naoyuki shifted in his arms.

"I got you something," Naoyuki said as he slid off the bed, dragging Naruto's covers with him as he ducked outside. He came back in with a pot of flowers and he sat them down on the table beside them.

"They're beautiful," Naruto said with a smile, lifting his fingers to the petals of an orchid. This wasn't something they could plant, usually that was Naoyuki's choice in spite of how Naruto told him in was inappropriate. Instead, it would wither shortly after arriving home. "I love them," he whispered as the boy settled against his side lying down in the safe hutch of Naruto's arm. He didn't ask to lie there, but he didn't have to. The blonde was glad, because the second Naoyuki had left he had been frozen again.

"Do you need to be anywhere?" Naruto asked Shikamaru who shook his head.

"No, I just came off of duty," He assured and sat down in a chair and the silence was awkward enough that Naoyuki began to tap his fingers on his chest just to hear the dull thud.

"Do you want to talk?" Naruto asked softly. Naoyuki shook his head, and Naruto knew that he would open up when he was ready, and it would likely be within the next couple of days. They sat there for a half an hour before the tapping of Nao's fingers faded away into heavy breathing.

"He hasn't slept since yesterday," Shikamaru said quietly.

"I could tell…" he said, his fingers still lazily sifting through ebony locks because he didn't know what else to do, or if there was anything else he can do because he had failed at all other things. But he was glad for Naoyuki's safety, and his warmth and the proof that he had something, he had everything, even though he didn't give Naoyuki what he deserved. He didn't give him safety, or closure, and he pondered for a moment Sasuke's reasons for leaving for power and he figured that he could understand now why he left even more than he did when he was 16. Sitting there idle was torture. But that wasn't who Naruto was, and even if it was he was too numb to act on anything in that moment.

"The council is going to meet on Sasuke's punishment in five days," Shikamaru said. "Tsunade will probably tell you to be there, but I thought you should know," He said. Naruto could hear the reservation in his voice, like Shikamaru was still trying to discern what was wrong with him.

He sucked in a deep breath, the old woman wouldn't tell him to be anywhere. She'd look at him the same way Sakura did, and she'd do everything in her power to postpone it if he wasn't feeling up to it. He knew it. His eyes turned back to Shikamaru, and there was the prospect of the paternity. He didn't want to hurt the other man, but he had a right to know…and he wouldn't look at him with sympathy…no, his expression would be much worse. He'd probably start pacing, he'd pace and crack his knuckles, Naruto could see it. "You haven't slept either, have you?" Naruto asked after a moment, seeing the sluggish tension.

"I stayed up with him," He said softly. It was so very awkward. "How are you?" He asked. "You said you're getting out today, so it's not serious?"

Naruto visibly flinched before he could think about it before he cleared his throat, trying to reign in his overactive emotions. He shifted and gently dislodged himself from Naoyuki until he was sitting up. "I'm here so often aren't I?" He said with a chuckle, sure not to wake up his son. "They really should just keep my house coat hung up somewhere," He was a little wobbly when he stood, but it was mostly because of the residual exhaustion he had been feeling for the past couple of weeks.

"Naruto…answer my question," Shikamaru's voice sounded strained, like he was trying to find the appropriate amount of worry.

"I'm not dying," Naruto said with a shrug a he leaned against the window ledge. He didn't mean to be so cold…he was just trying to find the right words.

"Is it serious?" Shikamaru asked, his voice very serious as he stepped closer, closing Naruto into the window. He could hear a hint of desperation, and Naruto wished he could ease the scenarios playing the brunette's head.

He stared out the window, his eyes half lidded and he felt so cold and he was sure that Shikamaru could see him shivering. "I…" he deserved to know…this should be easier than the prospect telling Sasuke…it should have been easier, but it wasn't. "I had a…" he cleared his throat, "a miscarriage," He whispered.

Those footsteps stopped. "Naruto…" Naruto felt the prick of tears at the back of his eyes, but didn't want to let them fall because he was crying too often lately…it clearly wasn't good for his image…or whatever he was supposed to feel like. Even Shikamaru couldn't think of anything to say.

"I…I don't know who…" he whispered softly, and felt like he had dug the knife a little deeper into Shikamaru's chest. He didn't deserve the situation, but he did deserve to know. He wondered if Shikamaru only thought the child could have been his, and he wondered if it hurt more, the uncertainty. He could hear Shikamaru's feet shuffling, and his knuckles cracking and it broke his heart. All of his worry was paused when he felt Shikamaru's hand on his arm. He turned and saw nothing but Shikamaru's shoulder as he was nearly crushed in his embrace. Naruto tensed, and released everything he was feeling. His eyes squeezed shut and with a pitiful whine he felt the tears slide down his face as he grasped tightly into the resilient fabric of Shikamaru's vest, willing it to bend. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he shook his head.

"Don't say that," He could hear the tremor in the other man's voice and he just held on tighter. It didn't matter that they weren't together, that maybe it wasn't appropriate, because within the constraints of grief all was fair. In that moment, it wasn't just Naruto, it was as much Shikamaru's burden as it was Naruto's and it was Sasuke's. "It's not your fault," He whispered, and Naruto couldn't help but feel that Shikamaru had always been too good to him, and wondered how he could still be too good to him in light of the choices he had made.

"I should have been more careful," Naruto shook his head, not resigning to what he believed to be a lie. Not wanting to.

"This is not your fault," Shikamaru said, more forcefully, and he didn't let go, refused to let go. "The amount of time you grieve for anything isn't proportional to how much you cared," He said calmly, forgiving Naruto for what the blonde considered to be moving on too quickly. Naruto was quiet after that, and simply held on because he needed someone, and Sasuke wasn't there…he wasn't sure Sasuke would have ever done anything like this. Truth be told, he didn't want to think of Sasuke's reaction just yet, because he needed to focus on saving him first. What Shikamaru said, made sense to him. It was hard to accept that maybe he was speaking the truth, but he found comfort in it.

"Do you need anything?" Shikamaru pulled back and hesitantly he placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders, but the blonde could see the attempt to place them on his face. "Anything at all?" he urged and Naruto shook his head.

"N-not anything…I mean…" He cleared his throat, his lips twitching at the sides as he fought back another wave of grief. "I just need everyone to be safe…I want to go home," He whispered.

Shikamaru stared at him and stepped back and he cleared his throat as well, he was grieving too and Naruto wondered if Shikamaru wanted to go home. "I'll go talk to a nurse okay?" He said softly, "We'll see what's going on," he said and Naruto mouthed a thank you as he left the room.

It was short moments later that there was an awkward intake of breath that sounded in the room. "Dad!" Naoyuki sounded frantic as he palmed at the bed before he saw Naruto standing, his eyes wide and glossy. "I thought I was alone," He said, his voice was small and Naruto was seated beside him in a second, the boy gathered in his arms the next.

"I'm here," He whispered, there were other important things that needed to be taken care of. "I've got you," he said softly.

"They're going to come back," he sounded so frightened and all Naruto could do was hold him a little tighter and press a gentle kiss to his brow. "They're going to come back for me, and finish the job!" His arms were threatening to cut off Naruto's air supply.

"No they aren't going to finish. We have you, and you aren't helpless," he whispered softly. "We're going to find them this time," because Naruto would settle for nothing less, and if Kakashi was tracking them it might mean that other trackers were out, and Naruto had nothing but the purest faith in his former instructor. "You just have to be brave for a little while longer," he whispered.

"What if they do?" he was shaking now and Naruto's hand was stroking down his back.

"They won't, but it's okay…it's okay to be scared, and I promise we're going to do everything we can," he said softly. They had attempted, four years ago to find them. They had caught two men and a woman last time, who never spoke and everything they did came up dry. Naruto wasn't going to settle this time. He just needed some time to figure out their plans. Naoyuki clung to Naruto, and didn't say anything else. Instead his arms loosened enough for him to slip down and he rested his ear on Naruto's chest, and listened to his heartbeat to keep himself calm. "You hear that?" Naruto murmured and Naoyuki nodded sluggishly. "That beats for you," He said softly and Naoyuki clung a little tighter.

"I want to see Sasuke," He said softly.

"I know…be patient Naoyuki," He said softly. "There are a lot of grown up things going on, and we have to play by their rules. We need to wait a few days to see Sasuke, but he's safe okay?" he murmured. He was safe for now, Naruto had to make sure it stayed that way.

"They aren't hurting him? He didn't do anything wrong…I don't understand," He said with a muffled voice.

"No, they aren't hurting him. I know he didn't do anything bad, but he did break the rules so he has to deal with that since he agreed to them," he tried to explain.

Naoyuki was quiet before he nodded, and it was shortly after that when Shikamaru came back, they spoke with all the necessary people. Naruto was dressed and Shikamaru escorted them home. They were quiet for the most part, and Naruto kept Naoyuki on his hip the entire time. Nao usually fidgeted and squirmed out of his grip, but this time he stayed put, and stayed quiet. When they arrived at home Naruto put Naoyuki down who didn't run through the house. Instead he slipped off his sandals and he made his way into the house, but refused to let Naruto out of his sight, so he didn't venture far. "Thank you, for taking care of him," Naruto said softly as he looked at the other man from where he stood just inside his doorway.

"Don't mention it," Shikamaru was staring at him, and Naruto could see the conflict, he could see the grief on his face. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"I'll be okay," He assured the man. He knew that Shikamaru was offering to stay, but he also knew that it would be inappropriate, and it wasn't what either of them needed. Naruto needed to spend time with his son, and Shikamaru had to find his way to cope. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked back.

Shikamaru cracked his knuckles and cleared his throat again. "I think I'm going to go home," He said with a nod. Naruto heard the difference though. He used a different tone of voice as when he was going to his house. This tone meant he was going to see his mother.

"Please…take care of yourself," Naruto whispered. They weren't romantically involved anymore, but before they ever were they had been friends, good friends. Regardless of Sasuke, and his son and whatever their life was now they were still friends, even if they had to find a level of harmony again.

Shikamaru nodded, and swallowed hard while cracking another knuckle. "Yeah, of course…you too," He said and he took a step back. "Make sure he gets some sleep," He said softly before he slowly turned and headed off toward the Nara compound. Naruto watched him for a moment longer until he heard Naoyuki shifting uncomfortably.

"Dad…close the door," He said softly and it broke Naruto's heart a little more as he slid the door shut.

"Sorry, are you hungry?" He asked as he ushered the boy deeper into the house, making sure the boy was comfortable.

* * *

The next couple of days had been difficult to say the least. Naruto had very little drive to do anything, and he found himself tired and nauseous quite often. Not only that, but he was depressed and Naoyuki was depressed as well. Naoyuki had a hard time being alone, and often needed Naruto close by to fall asleep, and even on nights when he tried to sleep in his own room he'd end up in Naruto's bed at some point. The blonde had no problem with it, he just wished that it wasn't necessary.

So it took him two days to find himself just outside of Sasuke's cell. They still refused to let him out into normal visiting areas and Naruto didn't want Naoyuki to see inside, so he left him with Iruka. He stepped inside to find Sasuke walking slowly back and forth. It took him a moment to lift his head and look at Naruto, but when he did his eyes widened.

"You're okay," He said, and he saw some tension leave the other's body. He nodded slowly and it took him a moment to bring himself closer and he felt Sasuke's hands through the bars grasp his wrists and draw him close. "Naoyuki, is he okay?" He asked, with a touch of fright in his voice and Naruto bit his lip.

"He's safe," he said softly, because Naoyuki wasn't okay. He watched Sasuke, and tried to imagine what he'd look like once he knew what had happened. He let out a heavy breath and tried to smile as Sasuke slipped back into a quiet exterior, void of expression.

"I'm going to speak with the council, the old bag and I. That's in a couple of days…I'll get you out of here," Naruto promised as Sasuke's hands slipped away from his wrists. "You…you aren't here to hurt anyone," Naruto said, and though he was hesitant, by the end he was absolute. "They need to get that through their head," He said. Sasuke might have disobeyed orders, but Naruto would have done the same thing, anyone with a child would have done the exact same thing.

"You think so?" Sasuke asked, sounding skeptical, because this wasn't the same Uchiha that the council loved. Some would see him dead if they could.

"I can be persuasive," Naruto said with a shrug. "Then…we can figure out what we're going to do. Kakashi's following a lead in finding those people. He said he has a good feeling about it," He said.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "Good."

"Sasuke?" Naruto was scared to be here, because he wanted to say something, he wanted to confess but he wanted Sasuke to be free before he did. "If they let you out…will you go after them?" He asked quietly.

"They deserve to die."

"You can't…please promise me you won't," He said softly.

"You mean I shouldn't," Sasuke said, not promising.

"You'll die if you step out of those gates…please don't try," Naruto rarely asked for anything of Sasuke. He might have demanded on occasion, but most of the time he let Sasuke tell him verbally or not when he was ready for something.

Sasuke's jaw was tense and he took a step back, and paced briefly. They were silent for some time, and when Sasuke finally figured things out he stopped in front of Naruto again. "I'm here…I promised I'd stay," He said. "I promise…I'll stay," He said and Naruto felt some sort of tension release deep inside, hopelessly wishing he heard those words 10 years ago.

"I promise…I'm going to end this," Naruto said softly. "I know you can't…you can't leave, but I can do something to stop this for all of us," he said. No, Naruto was not going out for revenge, he hated those men, he'd never forgive them, but this was to stop Naoyuki's suffering in Naruto's view. It wasn't for payback, because revenge was selfish in Naruto's view.

Sasuke watched him and said nothing on the subject again. "What happened?" Sasuke asked and didn't need to specify.

"I was tired from the mission," a partial truth. "We didn't come back in full health, Kyohei was just released from the hospital today," he admitted.

"What aren't you telling me?" Sasuke asked sounding angry and Naruto stepped back.

"Sasuke…" He rubbed the back of his neck. He deserved to know, but Naruto couldn't let him hear this news when there was no one to stay with him. He wouldn't let him face this by himself, because Sasuke wasn't alone anymore. "I'll tell you once you're out."

"That could be years from now," Sasuke growled.

"It won't be."

"You're acting naïve again. Of course it could be, I broke the agreement, they aren't going to show any mercy for a traitor," He said, and Naruto could see the tension in his body again.

"Just believe in me Sasuke..." he wanted to ask…no he wanted to plead, he wanted to get down on his knees and plead for Sasuke to believe in him just this once for more than just this. "I will tell you after they've made their decision."

"I'm not forgetting that," He said, and it hurt that he didn't agree to believe. But it wasn't something Sasuke did, and Naruto couldn't help but feel unreasonable for hoping.

* * *

Three days later they found themselves in the council room. Sasuke was present this time, and seated off to the corner with several ANBU seated around him. The council was there and Tsunade and Naruto were seated before them, remaining calm. Naruto knew he had to be strong, just for a little while longer, so he temporarily set aside all his problems, because right now was for Sasuke.

It was a long and arduous discussion. The council was proposing he go back to jail and Naruto fought so hard on the grounds that Sasuke had worked to do nothing more than save his son. He didn't aid in any destruction of Konoha, he didn't raise his hand to a single Konoha Shinobi, even when he could have, even when he had the power to.

"Sasuke acted admirably, he has shown no signs of hostility since he gave himself up. I fully believe that not only should he be released from future punishment, but I believe he should be released from supervision," Naruto said.

"That's ridiculous. He's a criminal and nine months of good behaviour does not make up for 10 years of betrayal."

"The fact that he's a war hero seems to mean nothing, does it? Without him, we could all be dead," Naruto knew this, he told Naoyuki often that Sasuke was a hero, but it was something he had yet to use in defense to the council. "In seven years, he has been no threat to Konoha, that isn't betrayal, and he has never been able to even speak for himself."

"Would the Uchiha like to speak?" one of them asked, turning their eyes to Sasuke who was restrained.

"I'd like to hear what he has to say," said another and they watched Sasuke expectantly.

Naruto knew that Sasuke didn't want to look at the council, though these people had nothing to do with his parents, their authority scared him. Or maybe it was anger, but Naruto was almost positive it was fear at some baser level. "I have no hostility toward the village. I simply wish to remain with my family, and I did what was necessary to save my son's life," Sasuke said carefully.

"I think he should be put to death," It was a familiar voice to Naruto. "Or locked away for life," this man had always unnerved the blonde, and he proposed this at the last discussion on Sasuke's fate.

"I refuse," Naruto said.

"You are not Hokage yet, your refusal means nothing."

"All Naruto has to do is ask for the position," It was Tsunade this time. "He could have it right this second, and I would grant it. His refusal does not mean nothing," she said, anger in her voice where ironically Naruto's showed none.

"I agree, he should be put away. Perhaps not for life, but this betrayal is severe. I propose 10 years," It was a woman this time. She had shown no animosity for Sasuke, she appeared to be speaking only with logic.

"I refuse," Naruto said once more, stronger this time.

"You have to understand our standpoint, Uzumaki. We are in a time of peace, altercations are usually performed by independent organizations. But with the Uchiha being free, there is concern from other villages. They do not wish him to remain alive, and most certainly do not wish for him to be walking around, escort or no. If this continues, they could attack," another said.

"This is Konoha's decision, and there have been no discussions of war, or attacks, or even negotiation on the subject. I do not believe any other nation would attack, our relationships have remained stable since the war. They have not expressed any opposition, and that fact should not negatively impact his sentence," Naruto understood where they were coming from, but he was biased. They had already expressed their thoughts on that, and made it clear that Naruto was offering some sort of defense, but he would not decide the Uchiha's fate. "I want him to be released. I do not want him to be under surveillance, and I want the seal limiting him to the village to be removed."

"That is a bold request, and it won't happen."

This carried on for some time, Naruto knew he was being unreasonable to an extent, but he knew Sasuke would remain with them. He had never been more convinced of anything than he was of Sasuke's change, he knew because Naoyuki had changed him too. Hours went by before the unthinkable happened.

"Uchiha Sasuke will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life," It was a majority among the council and the bottom fell out of Naruto's world for a third time that week.

"I refuse!" he said once more and he stood now, his hands fisted and absolutely shaking.

"It makes no difference."

"Sasuke needs to be freed," He insisted. "Seals or not, he will not be locked away again," Naruto said, so sure of that statement.

"It is over, you should leave. Please, take Sasuke back to his cell," said a man.

Everyone paused before the ANBU officials could move. All eyes were trained on Naruto, wide and surprised as his hands moved up to the forehead protector secured to his head. He gave it a tug and it fell loose into his hands.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I resign." He said firmly. It was an ultimatum, one he never thought he'd even consider. "I give up my right to the title of Rokudaime, I will hand in my resignation from Shinobi ranks, and as a citizen of Konoha," He stated.

"You cannot, you're a container."

"I'm also human," Naruto said, the firm expression on his face never changing. "I have a home in Suna, all I have to do is ask. I will ask," He said as he placed the head band before them. "I will not remain in Konoha with those who cannot acknowledge the truth."

"What is that truth?"

"That this man is no threat to Konoha, or any of the other nations, and they owe their existence to him," it was a gamble. It was a gamble because he knew the council wanted him, not only was he a vessel but he was a war hero that the other nations recognized. His influence was great among other villages, his power was unquestionable and losing him meant that they would lose a strong leader, and a good deal of security in their position as the Shinobi stronghold.

"Naruto, stop," It was Sasuke's voice and Naruto shook his head.

"He should be reinstated as a Konoha nin," he was doing a lot of speaking for Sasuke, but he knew if the man didn't want to, he wouldn't. He couldn't control Sasuke that way but he needed the council to know that this was the extent that he trusted Sasuke.

"You are being unreasonable."

"I stand by my decision," Naruto said and there was a long silence in the room. Naruto's eyes kept looking to Sasuke, who looked very cross indeed. When his eyes weren't trained on the raven, they were on the protector. It was the one Iruka gave him when he became the first person to believe in him and a second very strong bond where Sasuke was the first.

The council excused Naruto very briefly as they spoke and revaluated their decision. Once deliberation was made a half hour later he was called back in.

"Uzumaki Naruto, regardless of your rash and unreasonable behaviour…we concede. Sasuke will not be imprisoned. We will remove his chakra limitations and release him into your care and your care alone. He will be evaluated, and at the end of this year we will meet and discuss a possible reinstatement of his title. It may be reinstated sooner, but at the end of this year for certain. Ask no more of us," they said, sounding defeated.

Tsunade was watching Naruto with a worried expression, and Naruto stood there thinking over everything. "Very well," He said. He would still be confined to the village but Naruto hadn't expected any more. His unreasonable demands were him shooting for the impossible and having the council propose exactly what Naruto had wanted instead of requesting what he wanted, and receiving much less.

"He will be delivered to your house in a week. I hope, Uchiha Sasuke, that you can prove yourself worthy of these claims and abandon dishonour," they said in closing and Naruto knew he saw Sasuke twitch before he nodded stiffly.

"Thank you for seeing reason," Naruto said as he stood once more, his eyes meeting Sasuke's for a brief moment relieved, but the man's expression remained unreadable.

Naruto was allowed to leave and he found himself in the old woman's office, he leaned against the wall and thought to himself. He never would have dreamed of gambling before…but he had Sasuke and he would go down fighting before anyone could ever take him away.

"I can't believe you, you damn brat!" Tsunade stormed in and promptly smacked the back off his head, but it was much lighter than Naruto had ever expected. He stared at her with wide eyes before she embraced him firmly into her cleavage. "Don't ever scare me like that again," She said softly before she pulled back leaving Naruto ruffled as she placed a pink lipstick mark to his forehead and he flushed with nervous laughter.

"I'm sorry," He said sheepishly before her expression turned soft.

"How are you holding up, this couldn't have been easy," She murmured and Naruto shrugged.

"It's holding…" he said, he meant his life. "It's about to get difficult, but I think…I think it'll be okay," he wasn't sure.

"Okay," she accepted before she reached into a pocket and withdrew his headband. "This belongs to you brat," she said.

He smiled and he took it back, relieved he wouldn't have to give it up. "Thanks woman," He said, forgoing the old just this once as she reached up and secured it to his forehead.

"Go home, I have paperwork to do," She said waving him off and with a laugh he left.

He already knew that he wouldn't be allowed to see Sasuke tonight, there was paperwork to be done and visiting hours were out of the question at this hour. All he had left to do was pick Naoyuki up from Sakura's, go home and wait.

* * *

Naruto had explained the situation very clearly to Naoyuki over the week, and reminded him again that morning. The boy seemed happy that Sasuke was safe, and that he was being released. He sat down with him at breakfast, not forcing his son to go to the academy until he felt a little more secure. They sat there quietly eating the steamed rice that Naruto had prepared. Naoyuki would always eat his food in order, usually from the things he liked least to most and today wasn't any different.

"Naoyuki, would you be okay if Sasuke came to live with us?" He asked quietly.

Naoyuki blinked and he looked up at Naruto before looking to the door to the deck which was now firmly shut where usually it was opened in the morning so they could overlook their garden. "Are you two…together like that? Like…good enough like that?" He was talking like a young child, when usually his speech was mature.

Naruto bit his lip as he watched his son quietly and he placed his bowl down to his lap instead of the table. He had imagined that Sasuke would get his own room because he didn't know what Sasuke would think when he finally knew, and he regretted not telling him days before…because Sasuke admitting he wouldn't leave then, wasn't the same as an answer for what he might say after Naruto's confession. "We might be. I can't speak for Sasuke, he might want a room of his own," He said honestly.

"Oh…" Naoyuki looked at his bowl and he picked up a single grain of rice and studied it before placing it in his mouth. "It's okay," he said softly. "Sasuke makes me feel safe," he murmured and Naruto had to wonder if that was the only reason.

"He's coming sometime soon, okay? If you're ever uncomfortable, you tell me okay?" He said softly and he reached across the narrow table and clasped Naoyuki's hand in his.

"I promise," He said, squeezing back just for a moment before he took his hand back and finished his meal before he helped Naruto clean up.

The blonde didn't expect Sasuke's arrival to take as long as it did. Though he knew that there was much to handle he had been told he would be delivered sometime in the morning, so he expected Sasuke to be there in the morning. It was sometime after he and Naoyuki had finished their lunch that there was a knock at the door. Naruto went to allow Sasuke in when heavy footsteps barrelled down the hall and Naoyuki slammed into his legs forcing Naruto to catch the wall to keep his balance. "Naoyuki! Be careful!" He said in surprise.

"Don't go!" He cried out and clung to Naruto's waist, pressing so close to Naruto that it nearly hurt how hard Nao's nails dug into his skin.

"I'm not going anywhere," He said, his brow furrowed as another knock at the door sounded and Naoyuki flinched.

"I'll be right there!" Naruto said, normally he kept his door unlocked during the day but with Naoyuki's lack of security he kept everything closed up for the time being.

"No!" came a sharp wine and when Naruto tried to remove Naoyuki from his hip the boy just held on tighter and Naruto knew that something was very wrong.

"Baby, what's going on?" He asked, his brow furrowed and he stopped trying to answer the door and began to brush his fingers through Nao's hair.

"You can't open the door! What if it's them, what if they're back?" They had been talking this over with a professional for a few days now, but this was a new development.

"It's Sasuke, I promise," He assured the boy but he shook his head. "You want to see Sasuke right?" Naoyuki nodded but didn't say anything amongst his increasing breath. "I have to go let him in," He tried to get up and made it five steps before Naoyuki thudded to the ground, his hands over his head his fingers clutching his hair so tightly.

"Please! Please, please, don't do it daddy," he begged and Naruto could see the tremors as he quickly made his way to Naoyuki's side and tried to coax him from the fetal position he took.

"Naoyuki, Its okay," he said softly and when the boy wouldn't move, he simply stroked down his back gently and another knock sounded which coaxed a sobbing whine from the boy.

"Please don't! I don't want to see them, I don't want to, I don't want it!" He continued a small chant and there was another knock and Naruto found himself briefly angry.

"Stop your damned knocking and give me some time!" He yelled out just as Naoyuki launched himself into Naruto's arms.

"Please don't let them in," He whined and Naruto held him close as he began to shake as well. He hated this, he hated everything that lead up to this, and he hated that he didn't know what to do.

"Naoyuki, I promise it's just Sasuke," He said softly. "The people with him need to get back to work. Would it be okay…if we got just a little closer, and you can ask who it is?"

Naoyuki was silent for a long time before he sucked in a shuddering breath and nodded.

"Okay, let's go," He said as he slowly stood and they came to the wall blocking the door. That's when Naoyuki shook his head and grasped his arms so hard that it left Naruto with open crescents, but he didn't feel it just yet. "Do you want to ask? Or do you want me to do it?"

"Who's there?" Naoyuki called out, it was timid, but loud.

"It's Neji," came a familiar voice, "I have Sasuke here with me," He said, and Naruto could almost hear the confusion in his voice.

"See, it's just uncle Neji," and the tremors in Naoyuki began to fade slowly.

"O-okay…let's…let's let them in," He agreed and Naruto walked to the door, unlocked, and opened it. On the other side were Neji and Sasuke, boxes of possessions on the ground at their feet. Naoyuki took one look at Sasuke and held out his arms like a toddler. Sasuke's brow furrowed and he moved and gathered Naoyuki close and Naruto imagined he was getting similar treatment that Naruto had just faced evident by the nearly bleeding finger nail marks in his flesh.

"You're okay," came Nao's childish voice and he refused to let go.

"Yes…I am," Sasuke said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "How are you?"

"I want to go inside," He murmured muffled in Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto and Sasuke shared a sad look and Naruto nodded before he bent to gather boxes of what he assumed to be clothes.

"Sorry about that, he's a little shaken up," Naruto said softly.

"Don't even worry about it," Neji said quietly and Naruto couldn't help but feel that the other man was hesitating to meet his eyes and he couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Sasuke was concerned as he held his son close, and even when they were inside he refused to let go. "We're inside now, are you going to be okay?" Sasuke asked, speaking as he normally would because he remembered one thing he hated as a child was people treating him differently after the Uchiha massacre.

Naoyuki looked up at him, and even though he was still young, he looked so much younger to Sasuke. "Dad says you can put your stuff in there," He pointed to Naruto's room. "If you want…or there's that room," He pointed to what had once been Itachi's room and Sasuke couldn't help but think that he hadn't been in there in over 15 years, not since Itachi began to distance himself. He'd much rather sleep in the bathroom than be faced with all the implications of that room.

"Y-your dad's room," He said quietly, he could sleep on the couch if it was too much of a problem. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of intimacy, but it was better than the alternative.

"I'll help," Naoyuki said, but instead of saying it excitedly as he did when given the opportunity to help he simply slid from Sasuke's arms and went to help bring boxes inside. "What's this one?" He asked as he began to open it without asking and that's when Sasuke realized that all his manners, all his maturity seemed to be gone.

Naruto walked in behind him with a box, but paused and they were both standing in the doorway. Seeming to read his mind, he answered the question Sasuke was posing internally. "They say it's a coping mechanism…he's regressed, and they say it'll be fine for a little while. Just…make sure not to leave him by himself okay?" Naruto pleaded quietly and Sasuke almost grew angry that Naruto felt the need to beg.

"Of course not," he said stiffly as he stepped inside, glad that Naruto dropped it as he shifted the last of his boxes inside. He hadn't forgotten about their agreement, and he most certainly hadn't forgotten about the stunt that Naruto had pulled in the council meeting. He was still furious about it.

"They're all clothes," Naoyuki said, "Anything else? Oh…this one says books," He said as he crawled over to it on the floor and began to carefully peel the tape back.

"Those can go on that shelf over there if they'll fit," Naruto said as he sat on his bed and Sasuke could watch those intense blue eyes on him as he started putting things away with some direction from the blonde.

"Okay," Naoyuki said and he slid the box along the ground to the shelf and he began to unpack the books quietly.

Once Sasuke was done he notice that only five of his several books had made it onto the shelf. Naruto had taken the opportunity to find just a moment to himself and Sasuke could understand that he might need it in the light of this mess. "What are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm sorry!" Naoyuki slapped one closed but stared down on it. "It's a book on…botany," He said stumbling around the word. Naoyuki could read well enough, but two years after learning of course he'd still have some troubles and need for help with the more difficult words. Sasuke smiled secretly and he moved to sit down beside the boy, truth be told he had only picked it up once he had learned of Naoyuki and Naruto's interest in gardening. Naoyuki himself seemed to have interest in the actual functions and attributes of plants, rather than just nurturing them.

"Don't apologize," He said as he leaned over to look at the other books before looking to those on the shelf. He blinked and noticed that so far they were in alphabetical order.

"So you can find them easy," Naoyuki said as he slowly put the Botany book up and started sifting through the others.

"Thank you," He murmured, and he reached up to run his fingers through the boy's hair experimentally, pleased when he didn't even flinch.

"You're going to be living here now. Does that mean uncle Neji's going to move in too?"

Sasuke snorted as he put another book on the shelf, "Thankfully, no," He muttered. He still owed him a punch to the face for being a pain in the ass. The Hyuuga would never admit to it, but Sasuke knew that he omitted a lot of things just to see Sasuke suffer, like when Naoyuki had set up those traps in his apartment.

"So…does that mean that you don't need a babysitter?"

"I've never had a babysitter," Sasuke grumped.

"Right, you just had a pain in the ass," Naoyuki said much to Sasuke's surprise.

"Don't say things like that," He frowned.

"You did, you told me that Uncle Neji was a pain in the ass," Sasuke looked over his shoulder and couldn't hear Naruto nearby.

"Naoyuki, if you don't stop I'll have to talk to your father," disciplining Naoyuki at such a tender time in his life wasn't something Sasuke had been prepared to do.

"Go ahead," Naoyuki was adamant and when Sasuke didn't move he snorted. "He was your babysitter! Just admit it!"

"I will not."

"Then I'll tell dad he was a pain in the ass for you!" He put another book on the shelf, and as aggravated as Sasuke was getting he could see the boy was amused. "He'll learn that you taught it to me," He said with a smirk that seemed eerily familiar.

Sasuke stared him down before with a huff he stacked a few books, "Fine, I don't need a babysitter anymore," the words were laboured.

There was a bout of laughter and much to Sasuke's horror it came from behind him. "Sasuke with a babysitter, that'd be one night from hell," He said as he brought in a small platter of fruit and knelt down. "Thought you might be hungry kiddo," Naruto said as he sat so the three of them were crowded into the corner of the room.

"Watermelon!" Sasuke assumed it was a rare treat as he watched the boy steal all but two pieces and began to eat them.

"You sold me out," Sasuke muttered as he picked up a grape and began to peel it while Naruto was doing the same with a large grin on his face.

"You're too easy Sasuke," Naoyuki said as he nibbled at a wedge.

"Welcome to the house, jerk," Naruto said as he rested his feet up on an empty stretch of shelf, peeling another grape to satisfy his hunger.

He didn't understand what Naruto had meant until later that night when he had gone into Naoyuki's room to check on him at Naruto's request. When he opened the door he heard a familiar clicking noise and raised his hand in time to catch a balled up piece of paper. He blinked and Naoyuki was grinning from his bed and Sasuke looked down to the paper and unfolded the picture of a cup of yogurt, made clear by the words on the side of the tub. He snorted softly and he raised an eyebrow, "I take it you're feeling fine?" there was a smile on his face so long as there was one on Nao's. It only lasted for a moment before he heard an odd noise coming from down the hallway and the smile fell from Naoyuki's face.

"Dad's sick or something," He muttered. "He's been doing that for a few days now," He leaned forward and brushing past Sasuke without so much as an excuse me or an apology he went to gather a glass of water for his dad. Sasuke watched Naoyuki leave and once he was out of sight his eyes pinned to the bathroom. Naruto never got sick, he bragged about it constantly when they were children, particularly when Sasuke had fallen ill.

When Naruto stepped out he paused in the hallway, wiping his mouth before he managed a grin…a grin that Sasuke might not have seen through if Naoyuki hadn't mentioned something was wrong. "You know, you're free to walk around now," He said with a smile. "I was told this morning that you can go throughout the Compound and maybe farther in a month or two," He said.

"Fantastic, now are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?" He demanded.

"Che, maybe tonight. I don't really wanna do it with Naoyuki around, and he's in no position to be sent off anywhere so we can talk," He said with a sigh. Sasuke wasn't stupid, he could see the darkening of Naruto's mood and he was almost sorry for it.

He would have pressed the matter if Naoyuki hadn't rounded the corner, because an explanation didn't need to take all damned night. "Got you water dad," He said as he held up the glass, it was only half full and Sasuke imagined the other half was on the floor. "I gotta go clean up," He said as he ran back and his suspicion was confirmed. The Naoyuki who had taken care, especially in the moments he needed to wasn't around.

"Thanks kid...do…" Naruto blinked as Naoyuki took off before he could say anything. "The second he's asleep, I promise."

"Fine," Sasuke agreed but reached up to touch the back of his hand to Naruto's forehead, confused when he felt no temperature.

"Hands to yourself," Naruto pouted as he took a sip of his water. "It's raining," Naruto said looking through the window in Naoyuki's room. Sasuke didn't need an update, he could feel it in his knee ages ago.

Night time in his childhood home was filled with dinner in the dining room table which Sasuke was growing very much accustomed to. Naoyuki made it very clear he didn't want to sit out on the back deck, no matter what so they played cards, the three of them in the living area. A couple of hours went by before Naoyuki had fallen asleep on the couch. Sasuke watched as Naruto placed a blanket over top of him before he moved to the door to the deck. The two rooms were joined, so when Naruto sat down Sasuke knew it was so he could see Naoyuki, and Naoyuki could see them if he woke up.

"He's having such a hard time," Naruto murmured softly. "He hasn't been this way in a long time, I had to put a sign on the door telling people not to disturb unless lives are at stake…"

"That bad?" Sasuke felt with Naruto, he truly did, but with both of them in the house Naoyuki had seemed fine.

"He knows they're after him…and he doesn't understand that they don't know where we live, and he isn't thinking clearly enough to know that they wouldn't knock even if they did know," Naruto said as he drew a single knee up to his chest. He had sat down on the deck, against a support beam and looked off in the direction of the lake the rain seemed to have subsided. "Last time was different, he started bedwetting and refused to walk anywhere on his own. It didn't last too long…a few weeks, and then the rest slowly faded until it was only echoes over the following year," Naruto explained with a small hint of emotion in his throat. Sasuke wondered if he was purposely trying to remain stoic to keep from falling apart…he wasn't as good at it as Sasuke was.

"I've heard they have a team out after them," Sasuke said.

"Yeah…we're going to get them this time. I'm not settling for anything less," He murmured with a heavy sigh as it began to rain again, it started with a few drops and suddenly they had an entire shower on their hands.

They were quiet for a long time before Sasuke decided to speak up. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong now? Because you sort of promised me over a week ago," He said almost accusingly, he needed Naruto's unequivocal explanation. Needed it like he needed air, and it was something foreign to Sasuke, if Naruto was truly ill he didn't know what he'd do.

Naruto was watching him and seemed resigned until he opened his mouth. "You should let me take that seal off of you," He murmured. "You don't have to pretend that it's working anymore, lay down," Sasuke hadn't realized his zipper had slipped down, it was the only way that Naruto would have seen it.

"Quit dancing around the subject," he scolded.

"You should just lie down," Naruto muttered and Sasuke couldn't understand the man's reasoning, but the icy stare he was pinned with convinced him to lay back. He wondered if he was growing accustomed to conceding to the other man…because a year ago and he never would have dreamed of giving up without a fight.

"I'm not really dancing around it…" Naruto murmured softly as he began to work through the processes of removing the seal. It was surprisingly fast in comparison to how long it had taken to place them and repair them. "I just…I'm just trying to figure out how to say it," He whispered.

"You're not dying are you?" He didn't want the answer, he was afraid to hear it. Naruto looked healthy in his skin. He looked tired but there were no bruises, his skin was just as warm and dark as it had been, just as his weight had remained constant.

"…No…" Naruto said and with a wave of warmth, Naruto's chakra washed through him. It was unlike anything he had felt, this wasn't in animosity, this wasn't the touch of another sealing him…it was Naruto in a sense releasing him. "I'd do the other one if I was allowed…but I think that might be pushing my bluff," He muttered.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sasuke sat up, remembering his anger. "It was the stupidest thing I've ever seen."

"But it worked, you're freer than you were," Naruto shrugged. "I'm not going to worry about something that might have happened," he said but seemed to pause at the words and grow sad again.

"Why did you do it? I don't understand," Sasuke asked because he had been trying to pick it apart, he had been trying to analyze it as best he could. He still hadn't been able to come up with an answer.

Naruto was silent and Sasuke sat up so they were level. Naruto bit his lip and he rested his chin on his single raised knee. "You said that you couldn't ask me to leave…that you couldn't ask me to abandon my home and everybody I love. Truth is Sasuke…all you had to do was ask," He whispered, and it left Sasuke cold.

"No…" it wasn't possible, because Naruto was telling him that if he had mentioned it, their seven years apart could have been spent together miles from this cursed placed. He'd never have to stare at Itachi's doorway again, or face Nara.

"I would have followed you…and I would have given almost everything up yesterday to keep you safe," he continued and Sasuke wanted to run again…almost hating himself because that seemed to be his default.

"I could have…" He wondered who Naoyuki would have been if they hadn't been here, if he could have been a part of his life. But he loved Naoyuki as he was, and any tragedy here could have happened to them out there. He loved the son he had come to know and that was what had mattered. That's when he recalled Naruto's words, Sasuke shouldn't worry over what might have been. "I wouldn't ask…" He whispered.

"I know…" Naruto said back and they were quiet for a long time. Sasuke couldn't help but lean forward and gently charm those peachy lips to his. He drew his bottom lip along Naruto's petal soft ones and even as they danced their lips scarcely touched and often lingered hanging in the air before Naruto pulled back. His eyes were glossy and Sasuke was getting tired of seeing those eyes. Not because he thought it was weakness, but because he was tired of the other man hurting, hurting for so long, for his entire life, and he was tired of causing so much of it. "I just…I want…to hold on to this," Sasuke didn't understand.

"What's wrong?" He tried again, never admitting out loud that the way Naruto was speaking was scaring him through to his bones.

"I was pregnant…" He whispered. It wasn't the answer he had been expecting, but damned if it didn't hurt just as much. "I…I miscarried on...back…back then and…"

"No…" Sasuke couldn't handle 'and'.

"I don't…I don't know if the baby was yours," He whispered so quietly Sasuke almost didn't hear it.

His rock bottom was so much deeper than he had expected. He pulled back like he was burned, and he felt it. Another thing cruelly stolen from him…or was it? He didn't even know because Naruto…because of that damned Nara. He moved to stand but didn't think he had the balance. "You don't know? How can you not know?" He didn't miss the twisted expression of pain on Naruto's face, but he didn't care.

"I told you it was too soon…I told you..."

"Are you saying this is my fault? Why didn't you tell me, why do you have this need to keep important things from me?" Sasuke was up and pacing now and he felt so enraged, so hurt, so frightened, and so without control.

"Never! Sasuke…please, Naoyuki, you might wak—"

"—Don't plead with me!" Sasuke said and his fingers fisted tightly, his heel scuffed the boards. "Why?"

"B-because…I didn't want you to be alone," He whispered.

Sasuke didn't register Naruto's words because he wasn't done. "Does Nara know?" Naruto was standing now, but as he asked the question he had stepped back. "Does. Nara. Know?" His voice was dangerous, this calm and passive voice he had been using since he had arrived was so foreign, this…this anger was what he recognized.

"Yes…" Naruto whispered. "I'm sorry, Sasuke I'm so sorry," he could hear the question of self-worth on Naruto's voice, the same he heard as a child when Naruto tried to claim otherwise to compensate for the way he felt. This time, the emotion was raw and Sasuke still didn't hear it, not truly.

"Sorry for what, did you fuck him again?" Naruto's head snapped back and Sasuke saw his tanned hand ball into a fist and rise, and when Sasuke had expected a blow to his face nothing came.

"No…because I don't make advances on other people when I'm in a relationship," Naruto said, his voice was dangerous and plagued by anguish and Sasuke realized what he had said. Naruto's hand fell, "If you were anyone else, you bastard…I'd break your face in," He said before he wiped at his eyes. Sasuke would deserve it.

"I thought you couldn't have any more children, you said it was impossible," Sasuke needed answers before he could address anything.

"Who said anything about impossible? I never said anything like that, I told you…you said that you didn't know…and that's all we said," Naruto looked out of breath and Sasuke realized that it hadn't been Naruto that had said it, it had been Nara. He opened his mouth to say anything, anything that might take back the things he had said in anger, devastation, and fear but a small voice interrupted.

"Daddy?" It was frightened before Naoyuki's pale face peeked around the corner, his brow furrowed. "It's not okay out here…you should come inside," he whispered.

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment before he weakly stepped away with a heavy exhale. "I'm sorry baby," He murmured, his voice trying to wipe clear of their conversation and Sasuke was left frozen in his spot. "Do you want to sleep in your room tonight?" he heard the blonde ask and heard Naoyuki protest to the idea.

"Sasuke…come inside," Naoyuki's voice sounded, and it was distant. It was the only thing that brought him back inside. Even when he was he sat with his hand on the door, not moving. He couldn't help but think that he deserved to stay Sasuke to the boy forever after the thoughts he had just expressed. He stayed there for an eternity, thinking over the child he might have had when he should have been thinking about the child, whoever it belonged to, about how it never had a chance to exist in the first place. Any notions of not worrying about what might have been were gone, and he realized that expression on Naruto's face when he had said it, the blonde must have felt the same thing.

It was well past midnight when he walked to the bedroom door, he stood outside of it and heard light snoring from inside. He couldn't bring himself to step inside. He had anger that Naruto hadn't told him, he had anger that the world was once more stealing from him, but more than that he had anger at himself. He was awful, and oh so foolish…and he didn't deserve to step inside, he wasn't sure if Naruto would allow it in the first place. He looked down the hall and saw Naoyuki's room open and slowly walking past Itachi's old room he slipped into the room he had as a child, slipped under the covers and tried to sleep. He didn't understand until dawn that when Naruto had told him that he didn't want Sasuke to be alone, it was because that's what Naruto had been when he had been informed. Sasuke was alone now, all because he had forsaken a comforting embrace, one he knew Naruto might have given before Sasuke had opened his stupid mouth.

Instead he was left without, and he found himself crying silently into the pillow his head rested on for all the things his life kept taking away from him, and all the things Sasuke kept trying to push away.

* * *

Naruto had picked up on how Naoyuki was affected by the ongoing fights between Sasuke and himself. They hadn't actually spoken in a couple of days and regardless of the things that Sasuke had said to him he felt an extreme sense of guilt. Sasuke had moved everything into his room on the first night he had been there, and he didn't want to leave Sasuke after working so hard to finally make things work he was very relieved that the Raven had made no attempt to move his belongings out. Sasuke had yet to spend a single night in what was supposed to be their room, he had spent his nights either in Nao's room, or on the couch and Naoyuki was starting to ask about it. Naruto didn't always know the best way to tell him, so he usually ended up saying that they had a disagreement they hadn't talked over yet.

He wasn't ready to say anything to Sasuke until the bastard apologized, but he couldn't ask for it either because of the anguish he had seen on the man's face. People kept telling him it wasn't his fault, and he knew on some level he had to believe them, but it was still difficult. It was difficult because each night he'd empty the contents of his stomach, he was tired, he'd get dizzy, he felt so empty, and so cold. Sasuke's lingering gazes didn't help any of it, the only thing that did was spending time with his son, so that's what he did.

Naoyuki was still having trouble sleeping in his own bed, and Naruto was trying to figure out when he needed to draw the line…but for just a while longer he'd let it continue. He imagined that it wasn't long before Naoyuki would begin to act out like he normally did after difficult experiences. That's how he ended up there, on the third night with Naoyuki's ear pressed to his chest and the boy spoke long after he believed his son had fallen asleep. "Why's Sasuke not here?" He asked quietly.

"Because we had a disagreement and he feels more comfortable elsewhere," He murmured.

"Is it because I'm here?"

"No, no I promise we're not fighting about you," He murmured, pressing a kiss to the boy's temple.

"But he's not safe in there," Naoyuki kept breaking his heart.

"Sasuke is fully capable of taking care of himself," Naruto tried to reason.

"But what if he's asleep and there's someone who comes in the window, what happens if no one's there to help him?" Naoyuki was growing frantic.

"Nao…what do you want me to do?"

"My bed is big enough…" He suggested quietly and Naruto sat and thought about it for a moment. He didn't know if Sasuke wasn't in here because he was pissed with Naruto, or if he thought Naruto was pissed with him. He normally had a good sense on how to read the other man, but Sasuke didn't look at him often enough and Naruto didn't spend enough time to watch his body language to know.

"Okay…" He gave in on an exhale because he was frightened. He stood up and Naoyuki refused to let go of him, so he picked him up. It was easier, because it was at night when Nao felt the most insecure. During the day all the doors in the house were open so he could be heard at all times, but when the sun went down all the doors closed so anyone hiding behind the doors couldn't be seen. They had learned the hard way that leaving him alone in a room at night for even a moment resulted in terrified screams and Naruto didn't have the heart for it. So he walked down the hall quietly, making sure to close doors and turn on the light at one end of the hall, and turn it off at the other.

He pushed Naoyuki's door open quietly and when it swung open Sasuke shifted in the bed. Naruto walked up and pushed at Sasuke's shoulder. "Make room, jerk," he muttered, too tired to say anything else and fully aware that calling Sasuke any name might give the impression that he forgave him. Sasuke didn't move though, but he knew the man was awake. "We aren't going to climb over you," well, Naoyuki might have.

Sasuke shifted and when he did he turned to look at them. His eyes were black and emotionless until he saw Naoyuki who let himself fall onto his bed and scoot closer. Naoyuki was watching Sasuke like the man was a wild animal that might bolt if startled and Naruto was once more startled that Nao could sense the tension in that fashion, he was also startled because his perceptiveness had been something lost as he coped with the aftermath of the invasion.

Sasuke held the blanket up for Naoyuki to climb under and press to his side and Naruto hadn't expected it to remain lifted, but it did. He swallowed and he slowly climbed into the bed trying not to tremble as Sasuke covered them all with the blanket. He bit his lip as Sasuke's hand lingered on his shoulder before it slipped down to rest on Naoyuki's back. "We had to come make sure you were safe," Naoyuki murmured as he shifted around on the bed until he was facing Naruto because it was his heart beat that he used to fall asleep.

"I'm much better now," He murmured, his hand moving to Naoyuki's hair when the boy moved, sifting through it soothingly. It was dark but Naruto was sure Sasuke's eyes weren't leaving his face, like he wanted to say something. But when Naoyuki fell asleep short moments later Sasuke's eyes closed and he tried to sleep. Naruto felt too close until the scent of cool earth soothed him into sleep as well, and if he woke in the morning with Sasuke making noise in the kitchen, Nao in his arms, and the blankets tucked around him a little tighter than they had been, he felt a little warmer.

* * *

Sasuke had been having difficulty with the past few days. He was attempting to keep some space for himself for a few reasons. He had been alone for so many years, it was hard to adjust to finally having the thing he said he wanted. More importantly, the way he had treated Naruto had been completely inappropriate. He had spent more time thinking over it, and the loss of a potential child more than almost more than anything else that didn't involve Naoyuki. He didn't know how to approach the other man, so when they had showed up and crawled into the bed with him there was a substantial amount of relief that washed through him. It didn't make up for everything though, he still needed to work up the courage to speak to Naruto, to try and apologize which was something he wasn't good at when the apologies were for banal reasons.

When Naruto finally awoke it was once Sasuke had placed breakfast on the table. The look they shared seemed to hold at least some affection, and his mind was put somewhat at ease. At least he still had a chance, one of several chances he kept fucking up.

One thing he could be glad for was the fact that Naoyuki had finally allowed them to start opening windows. It was slowly moving into spring, and while Konoha never grew cold in the traditional sense, it was chilly to Naruto and Naoyuki who had lived there their entire life. Sasuke didn't particularly enjoy the cold either, but he was far better suited to it with his time away so he enjoyed sitting out on the deck, even on overcast days like this one. Naoyuki came and sat beside him at one point and he was pulled from his thoughts. "Hey Dad?" He hung his legs over the edge and Sasuke could see he was a little tense being outside and vulnerable, but he was trying to be brave.

"Hm?" Sasuke had one leg hanging over as well.

"Do you love dad?" Sasuke tensed. Naoyuki never differentiated between them when he used the word dad, he had to adapt to the way Naoyuki said the word to know who he was talking about. Since it was just Sasuke here, he had a good idea what Nao meant, and that wasn't a question he was at all prepared for.

"I care for him very much," Sasuke said wondering what had brought this on.

"Good," Naoyuki said softly, and Sasuke bit his inner cheek when the boy leaned against his shoulder. He wasn't used to a lot of things, and affectionate actions were one of them. It wasn't something he'd trade in for anything else though. "Promise me you'll do it for a long time?" Naoyuki looked up at him and Sasuke was confused.

"Explain," He said, feeling the twinges of rain in his knee.

"Love him…like…forever or whatever," He said softly. "Dad's not okay right now, he's still sick and he feels sad…he needs someone to love him forever and not leave."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he was sure the boy could feel him tense. His eyes were focused on a small bird preening at itself on the branches of one of Naruto's fruit trees that were beginning to bud. Naoyuki definitely had picked up on their behaviour and Sasuke was sorry for it. "O-of course…" He whispered. Sasuke had no plans of leaving, even though he experienced twinges of needing to run he refused to act on them. The fact that his son was asking him, the infamous runaway was almost enough to make Sasuke snort…that was if he wasn't terrified by this conversation.

"But you have to say it, you have to promise," Naoyuki urged, his head tipping back to look up at him.

"I promise," His mouth was unbearably dry. It wasn't until he said the words that Naoyuki seemed to calm down. "Where did you two get off to?" Naoyuki had ventured outside for the first time today.

"Dad and I had to go and deliver birthday invitations," Nao was smiling now, he seemed like he was recovering. Right, it was the next day.

"Are you excited?" he began to brush his fingers through the boy's hair. He had been in Konoha for almost a year now.

"Yeah, I'm gunna be seven," He grinned. "It's just small, only friends. My aunts and uncles are gunna drop by when they can because everyone is real busy," He said withdrawing for just a moment. Sasuke knew that they were, Inuzuka and his wife were both out searching the last he heard with Kakashi.

Naoyuki stayed with him for a little while, asking him pointless questions before he ran inside to bother Naruto. It was a few hours later that he walked inside and didn't see sign of either of them. He briefly wondered if he had been abandoned once more, but a quick walk down the hall busted the theory. Inside of Naoyuki's room was a massive structure of blankets held together with pins and furniture holding it in place until they were well covered. The two were laying down inside with a book. Naruto looked up and they shared a brief look and Sasuke didn't want to move any closer. That of course was when Naoyuki saw him, "Dad come read with us!" He said. When Sasuke heard the genuine happiness in Naoyuki's voice he couldn't bring himself to run away. He stepped forward slowly and carefully climbed into the fort and couldn't help but wonder if it was Nao's idea or if it was Naruto's.

"What are you reading?" He asked around his dry throat. He watched Naoyuki who was laying between them twisted like a cat.

"The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi," Naoyuki said with a grin. "I like this one," he had rolled again until he was half on his back staring upside down at the book with his legs flopped over Sasuke's lower back.

"Never heard of it…" Sasuke admitted, though it sounded like a children's book. He shut up and swore he saw Naruto roll his eyes.

They read quietly and as they went on it felt eerily familiar and he realized why when the main character revealed his name. Sasuke wondered if it was something that came out after the war, Naruto's fame was no secret he heard the blonde's name countless times after the war when he had been out on the road. "Isn't that a bit narcissistic?"

"What does that mean?" Naoyuki asked with a furrowed brow.

"It means someone who loves themself," Sasuke supplied watching the annoyed expression on Naruto's face.

"But you have to love yourself…that's what makes you strong," Naoyuki said and Sasuke blinked at the philosophy…one he very much didn't live by.

"Jerk," Naruto muttered and he slapped the book into Sasuke's hand. "Look at the publication," Naruto said resting his chin on his folded arms. It was the first thing Naruto had said to him.

Sasuke flipped through the pages and when he saw the publish date he stared at Naruto. "But this is…before you were born," He murmured. Not long before Naruto was born for that matter.

"That's right, so go love yourself ass face," Naruto mumbled. Sasuke might have reacted if he hadn't been so well put in his place.

"That's not nice…"

"Sorry," Naruto mumbled as he was scolded by his own son, and looked a little defeated.

Sasuke looked down at the book quietly and recalled that Jiraiya was very much a Sanin, the one that had trained Naruto. Sasuke almost apologized but Naoyuki interrupted his thoughts, "Can we read now?" with a moment hesitation, Sasuke continued reading. If he hadn't been picturing a blonde loud mouth before, he sure was now.

It was the next night that the three had found themselves sitting by themselves. Naruto had been trying to clean up the house after Naoyuki's friends had torn it apart and Sasuke felt completely obligated to help keep his mother's house clean. When they had finally finished they sat down around the coffee table in the living area and Naruto handed over a small gift to the boy with a smile. Naoyuki inspected it quietly before he carefully unwrapped the box, sure not to tear anything if he could help it. When the box was opened a small pendant was revealed and a smile overtook the boy's face. "Put it on me!" He said and he quickly turned after pressing the pendant into Naruto's hand. When Sasuke got a look of the pendant now dangling around the boy's chest he saw that it was a red spiral, but it was well made. It took Sasuke a moment to realize that the two were staring at him as he analyzed the necklace. "Is that it?" Naoyuki leaned over the table to look at the simply wrapped gift he had.

"Yes," Sasuke said as he handed it over and watched as Naoyuki took the same care in opening it. He was pleased when he saw another smile on the boy's face as he realized what it was. It was a sketch book, this one was bound beautifully, it was thicker and the paper was far more resilient and appropriate to the medium the boy used. After Sasuke had been allowed to work at a job he no longer had, he made sure to save up for this book in particular.

"I love it!" He got up on his knees and shuffling over he hugged Sasuke. "Thanks dad," They both paused at that, and seemingly in unison stared at Naruto. It was the first time he had called Sasuke dad in front of Naruto.

Naruto stared back at the pair, blinked, and laughed. "I have some cake in the kitchen," he said waving them off as he went to grab everything. He returned short moments later with straight vanilla cake. Sasuke was almost expecting something made of chocolate, filled with chocolate, and dipped in chocolate. This was a nice change of pace. Once Naoyuki was in bed, after a long time of working the sugar out in the loudest most irritating way possible Sasuke decided he couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Naruto," He said softly after following Naruto into the kitchen intent on helping him wash the large amount of dishes left over from the previous party. "I'm sorry…" He said quietly and he longed to touch the other man but remained reserved.

"You sure you're not just trying to convince me not to go out and fuck Shikamaru, who I'm pretty sure if sleeping with Neji if rumors are true," He muttered as he started washing, not bothering to look at Sasuke.

Sasuke paused and ducked his head, his jaw was tense. He had done a lot of stupid things, in hindsight that was probably one of the stupidest. "I shouldn't have said that…I shouldn't have said a lot of things," Sasuke tried to save himself.

"Probably not," Naruto seemed to be completely indifferent and it appeared that he wasn't going to ease up, but the blonde surprised him again. "Look Sasuke…it's fine, it's difficult information to process," He murmured as he stopped and dried his hands with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Was…was it the first time it's happened?" He didn't know if he had the right to ask, or if it was ever appropriate.

"What? Yes…it was," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and he turned to lean on the counter, forgetting the half full sink of dishes by this point. "I mean…they told me that it'd probably happen so…so we took temporary measures to make sure it didn't happen. Contraception if you will, designed specifically for special old me. Naoyuki went the full nine months, but it wasn't easy. I spent a lot of time on full bed rest and he was born very small, especially for someone carried to term." Naruto muttered.

"Why is that? That they say you…can't," He cleared his throat. If he had children, he had never imagined it would only be one, not with his ambitions.

"Uh…well it's probably because I have…I produce a lot more..an…ambe..a..ahhhh…more than woman usually…uh what are they called? And also, there's this thing that goes…uh…" a completely perplexed expression took over his face as he waved his hands around like it would help his explanation. "Well…basically, I have this thing called a dick."

"You're an idiot. Do you ever listen when you're supposed to?" Sasuke said, exasperated.

"Of course I do, jerk!" Naruto growled as he turned around to tend to the dishes again. "I mean…if you really wanna know, just talk to Sakura or someone. I don't care about that shit, I listen to what they tell me not to do, or to do…or how to do," He shrugged. It sounded like a very Naruto answer.

Sasuke watched the other man and sighed at the answer he was given, "Hn…fine," he said. He watched Naruto for a few moments longer before he slipped his arms experimentally around Naruto's waist from behind, drawing the other to his chest.

"Sasuke, I'm busy," He protested, but his voice was weak and hitched.

"Shh," He hummed into the man's ear and just held him. "I'm sorry. I do things, and say things when I'm upset. It's not an excuse, you should have never heard things like that…especially from me. I'm…trying," He said on an exhale as Naruto's arms rested over top of his. "I never meant to leave you alone, I hope you can forgive me."

"Sasuke…" Sasuke had made a very minor note that Naruto hadn't cleaned his hands, so when Naruto turned in his embrace and clutched at the back of his shirt he was okay that his shirt was now soaked. The other man was shaking and for once, Sasuke was okay with this. He was okay, and not tense because Naruto needed this more than Sasuke needed to feel awkward. He pet down the man's back.

"Shh," He murmured again, just trying to offer what comfort he could.

"You know…I would have given anything to have you here Sasuke. Absolutely anything to call you mine, it was all I ever wanted. I wish that was still the only thing I wanted because then…I could just be fine again," the blonde's voice cracked on the last one. Sasuke couldn't take it, he didn't know how to handle this, so he did the one thing he was sure of. With both his hands on Naruto's face he ducked his head, slanting his lips over the other man's. He made absolutely sure that he wasn't forceful.

"We'll make it through this," He promised when he pulled back, pressing a final kiss to the corner of the blonde's lips.

Naruto bit his lip and his fingers finally let Sasuke's shirt go with a heavy breath. "Yeah…we have to," He said as he leaned back against the corner and began to fuss with Sasuke's shirt. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," Sasuke didn't even grace that with acknowledgement, because the situation was far greater than a damp shirt.

"Why are you still getting sick? It's been a while now hasn't it?" He asked, if someone asked Sasuke what he knew more about, Naruto's ability to eat upwards of 10 bowls of ramen without gaining a pound and getting sick, or pregnancy and babies…well he'd have to pick Naruto and his unearthly bottomless pit.

"Ugh…" Naruto was actively trying to push the negative feelings away now, Sasuke could see it. "Something about hormone levels and how it could be as long as six weeks or it could show up not at all. Lucky me," He muttered.

Sasuke absent mindedly reached up and brushed Naruto's hair back, it wasn't until he saw the almost drunk expression on the blonde that he realized that it had become such a habit with Naoyuki that it was spreading to other areas of his life. He cleared his throat and stepped back, "I should change my shirt."

"Should be getting ready for bed anyway," Naruto cleared his throat too. "Besides, we should get prepared for phase two."

"What phases?"

"Naoyuki's fast asleep in his own room. Tomorrow he's going to ask to stay with Sakura and Shin, followed by going out to play…he's going to get into trouble, then he's going to try and run away when we're sleeping," Naruto said as he scratched the area just above his stomach.

"That's oddly specific…" Sasuke muttered.

"He likes routines, and hates unpredictability, the chances of him doing anything different are almost impossible," Naruto was in their room now, pulling out something comfortable to sleep in.

"How do you even handle this?" Sasuke knew what his father would have done, it wasn't a pleasant thought.

"I keep a close eye on him, and as many other eyes as I can. I'll make rounds in the neighborhood tomorrow and let them know what's going on. Once he's gone through everything, he'll come and apologize, and if he doesn't? Well I guess we'll have to take it from there. By the time he's done they'll probably have more news on this organization and I can deal with taking them out by any means that I need to," Naruto said as he pulled his shirt off.

"It's a joy being useless," Sasuke muttered. He wasn't inactive, whenever Sasuke knew what he wanted for he didn't stand around and twiddle his fucking thumbs. No, instead he made sure that his sword was through some fucker's eye socket by the end of the night. He couldn't afford thoughts like that, a step out of the village could leave him brain dead…or simply dead.

"You could stay here and make sure he stays safe, I don't know about you but that seems like something more useful than running around angry," Naruto shrugged.

"While you run around angry?"

"I'll have a plan when we get some info instead of running around blind," Naruto shrugged and he cleared his throat. Sasuke recognized it as Naruto trying to keep his composure, so he elected to pipe down.

"Let's go to sleep," He suggested and Naruto simply looked over his shoulder with a poorly hidden sad look on his face and nodded. They settled into bed and Sasuke allowed himself to rest his arm on Naruto's side, because he had the permission to do so once more.

The next day set Naruto's predictions into motion. Naoyuki had in fact asked to stay with Sakura, and upon the overnight stay had come back with his birthday gift of a black coat with cat ears and a tail on it…Naoyuki wasn't pleased to say the least. Naruto on the other hand was pleased because Nao had just grown out of his last coat so the boy was absolutely stuck wearing it. The day after he asked to go play outside, and with these guys on the run and extra security posted around not only Konoha, but the compound Naruto didn't protest.

There was a knock on their door a few hours later and with Naruto busy outside Sasuke was left to answer. He pulled it open and saw Inuzuka there who had returned short days ago now that they were certain where the hideout was and were simply staking out, they didn't need two teams. "Yes?" Sasuke's brow quirked.

"Where is that blonde jerk, tell him he owes me an explanation as to why my dog is pink!" It was then that Sasuke saw the dog off to the side with Naoyuki laughing as it licked at his face, something he'd have to deal with in a moment. The dog certainly looked more peachy than it did pink.

"I'm right here, are you so incapable of civil speech that you have to rely on the primitive need to screech?"

"Shut up asshole! Just get blondie out here!"

"Blondie's right here Kiba," Naruto said with a pout. "And don't say things like that around my kid," He grouched but paused when he saw the dog. "Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you have to say? My poor Akamaru has to go through this at least twice a year and all you say is oh?" Kiba was almost going red.

"More like Momomaru," Naoyuki chimed in with another giggle as the dog licked up his shoulder next.

"Naoyuki, if you're going to do nothing but get into trouble we may as well keep you home," Naruto said as he stepped outside, Sasuke on the other hand leaned against the door frame somewhat amused with what was transpiring.

"But dad, he doesn't even mind, eh Akamaru?" Nao was scratching the top of the dog's head who was panting happily. "Plus he likes the smell of beets, isn't that right boy?" Inuzuka looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel.

"Naoyuki, inside and get a tub ready out in the back yard," Naruto said.

"Fine," He rolled his eyes and he trudged inside the attached tail to his coat almost dragging on the ground had Akamaru not picked it up in his mouth and tried to follow Nao inside.

"Akamaru, what are you doing?" Kiba groaned, "Sit," the dog sat but not without giving a pathetic look to the Inuzuka.

"I'm sorry Kiba, he's been going through a rough time. He's been cooped up for so long I thought he should get some fresh air, here's what. I'll help try and get the stains out of Akamaru for you okay? Well he will, and we'll have him home tonight," Naruto had a grin on his face.

"It better come out this time, I had a purple dog for a month last time," Inuzuka muttered.

"Aw, but it matched Hinata's eyes Kiba! Are you saying you have something against them?" Naruto was just pressing buttons now.

"Shut up blondie and go let your kid teach you how to have a bath, you clearly need one," they started wrestling almost immediately, but before anything could seriously happen Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Oi, when did the Uchiha get here?" Inuzuka said as he stepped back.

"Kiba, you're hopeless," Naruto muttered. "Say hi to Hinata for me."

"I am not hopeless!" Kiba simply fingered Naruto as he walked away defeated.

"Told you he'd get into trouble," Naruto said as he stepped inside.

"Not that you did anything to stop it," Sasuke muttered.

"Only reason I let him out at times like this is because I know he's going to be with Akamaru," Naruto shrugged. "I don't know why it always ends up that way, that kid's a mystery sometimes."

"You trust him with a dog?"

"Sure do," Naruto said like that was the end of the conversation as he found Akamaru and Naoyuki out back. Akamaru was curled up on the deck and Naoyuki was using him as a pillow.

"Do we have to give him back dad? I'm pretty sure he wants to stay with me," Naoyuki muttered and Akamaru let out a happy bark.

"I'm pretty sure that Akamaru wants to live with Kiba," Akamaru let out a second happy bark.

"I guess, but we spend a lot of time together too," Naoyuki said as he reached up to pet at the dog's chin.

"Don't think you aren't grounded either. I think it's a good time of the year for a nice clean of the house, top to bottom," Naoyuki groaned and Naruto just smiled. "Now, let's get to cleaning this dog up," Naruto said with a smile.

Sasuke watched the three, how the dog just jumped into the tub without a fuss and the two practically bathed with the monstrous canine. Sasuke didn't take part, he simply sat down and read his book. He took the time on occasion to watch the two having fun through this supposed punishment. When Akamaru was finally delivered home it was as a strawberry blonde and not as a peach. Sasuke might have smiled if he hadn't ended up in the tub of water with the dog thanks to Naruto's antics at one point. He had many things in life to cross off a list, bathing with a dog was not one of them.

It was two days after that before Naoyuki had made his first attempt to run away. Sasuke honestly thought that Naruto was kidding before he came in one night.

"Ah, just finished setting up the traps outside Nao's bedroom," He said while Naoyuki was in the back. Sasuke had been given the task of keeping an eye on the boy while Naruto was busy.

"Traps? Is that really necessary?" Sasuke asked, not sure how he felt about treating his son in such a way.

"You'll see," Naruto mumbled.

After they had finally gone to bed Naruto had insisted that they just lay and wait. Sasuke thought it was absolutely ridiculous but after a half hour went by there was a loud cry from outside.

"Dad! Help!" It wasn't particularly terrified.

"I believe that's your son," Naruto said.

"Mine?"

"Kidding, do you want me to go and get him? Or do you want to come with?" Naruto was about to sit up but Sasuke shook his head.

"Let me talk to him, you said he likes routine. Maybe if I talk to him we might be able to keep him from attempting tomorrow like you said he will," Sasuke said as he sat up.

"If you're sure…" Naruto murmured looking up at him. Sasuke nodded before he pulled on a shirt and with a cursory glance into Naoyuki's bedroom he deduced the boy was outside. When he found Naoyuki he was hanging upside down from a tree just outside his room. "Hi dad…" was all he said with an obvious flush on his face.

Sasuke stared at him with his arms crossed, "Care to tell me what's going on?"

"Care to let me down?" Naoyuki glared.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and he momentarily searched for other traps. He made sure to avoid them and not alert Naoyuki to their presence he gathered his son into his arms and carried him inside despite his protests. "Well? Why were you sneaking out?"

"To rescue Akamaru from uncle Kiba," he shrugged.

"Why would a dog need rescuing?"

"Because we have better dog treats here," Sasuke could tell it was a simple cover up and planned on staring Naoyuki down until he cracked. "Because, I have to find the people who want my eyes. I'm going to take them down," He growled. That was an answer Sasuke hadn't expected, especially since Naoyuki had been terrified the previous week.

"Even Kakashi doesn't know where they are, how do you propose to find them?" Sasuke asked.

"They'd come to me," That answer scared Sasuke. He set the boy down on the deck and Naoyuki simply sat down with a heavy sigh and Sasuke followed. "What do you want to say?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dad usually tries to give me a big long boring talk about this, so can we maybe…I dunno? Make it short?" Naoyuki looked bored.

"You're being very disrespectful Naoyuki. That's unlike you," Sasuke tried.

"Oh, that's new. How would you know what I'm like you weren't here," Naoyuki was angry and Sasuke tried to remain composed, but the words stung.

"I've been here," Sasuke said calmly. Naruto had mentioned that Naoyuki tried to hurt people with words when he was angry and always ended up regretting it around a week later.

"So? You don't know everything about me. So are you going to yell at me or what?" Naoyuki wasn't looking at him anymore.

"I'm not going to yell," he wanted to but he had a sense that Naoyuki knew how to tune yelling out. Besides, the sound of Sasuke raising his voice might give a few people a heart attack, and he had an image to uphold. "Does your dad yell?"

"Not really, he talks all deep like this," Naoyuki's voice got deeper, but it was clearly exaggerated. "Like he's sad and knows how I'm feeling."

"Maybe he does know," Sasuke was beginning to feel like Naruto didn't tell Naoyuki as much as he thought he would.

"Yeah right, dad doesn't have eyes like me…like us," He muttered.

"Maybe not…but you know what he is right? That he has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him. Your dad wasn't too much older than you when people began to hunt him for it. I think he knows better than anyone how you're feeling," It was a heavy conversation, Sasuke was hoping it would mean something.

"Really?" It had certainly gotten the boy's attention.

"More than just a group of thugs, it had a big part in the war. In fact, they wanted to extract it your dad would have died if they had been successful," He didn't go into the details, Sasuke wasn't even positive how the Juubi had been formed but he did know what the plan was prior to its creation. "He just wants you to be safe, and let adults handle the situation."

"But…they haven't dealt with it. Or it wouldn't have happened again," He murmured.

"There's more evidence this time Naoyuki, they weren't hiding. More people saw, and more people were caught. Your…gran-…Kakashi is out there trying to make sure you stay safe, and once they're found they will be dealt with. If you go out there, you're just doing what they want. You shouldn't make it easy right?"

"Who says I'd make it easy?" Naoyuki said as he slouched forward and Sasuke sighed.

"There will be a time in your life when you walk out of those gates to find someone and bring them to justice with your four man team, but it's not now. Now is the time to go to bed, and tomorrow we'll talk about you going back to school okay?" Sasuke could do nothing other than hope.

Naoyuki watched him for a long time and he let out a heavy breath, "Fine, I'll go to bed," He said as he stood.

"Good," Sasuke stood as well, resting his hand on the top of Naoyuki's head he urged him into the house. He watched as the door to the boy's room closed before he went and he rested back down on the bed he shared with the blonde.

"How is he?" Naruto turned to face him.

"Sleeping for now, I'm not entirely sure I got through to him," Sasuke muttered. "This…parent thing is harder than I thought."

Naruto stared at him before he laughed and he flicked Sasuke's forehead, "Of course it is, you can't just logic your way through this. Kids don't work like that," Naruto's leg linked with his and Sasuke let it because he might have just needed a little human contact tonight, same reason he didn't get mad about the small sore spot on his forehead.

"Oh no, that message has been received loud and clear," he said. His son might have been smart, incredibly skilled to keep stealing the Inuzuka's dog without anyone knowing and various other things, but logic wasn't something he fully comprehended yet.

"Give it a few years," Naruto mumbled and hooked his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and pinned him to the bed that way, and it seemed like seconds later that he was lightly snoring. Sasuke blinked up at the ceiling and with a heavy breath he shook his head.

"Or ten," he murmured, not fancying the idea of his son growing up quite that fast.

The next day brought another attempt at running way, but they honestly didn't expect that he'd make an attempt in the middle of the day. When he turned up back on the door step he looked defeated carrying a bag of his possessions.

"What's wrong Naoyuki?" Naruto said, looking puzzled as he let him inside the house. Sasuke watched from his spot in the living area over the top of his book as Naoyuki walked out into the garden. He got up and followed him outside with Naruto in case something was really wrong.

"I was going to leave," He said like it was something simple before he looked down to his hand. "But I had nowhere to throw this," He said. He took aim and tossed something onto the roof.

Naruto watched and blinked before turning back to their son, "Wait, open your mouth," Naoyuki did and there was a missing a bottom tooth.

"You lost a tooth…" Sasuke was astounded, and remembered the conversation that he and Naruto had the night before. He was glad his son didn't have the logic of an adult, because if he did he might have just thrown his tooth on any old roof and kept going.

They had another long talk that night about responsibilities and how he should stay home. They found out that when the both of them spoke with Naoyuki together that he seemed to grasp what they were saying better. He didn't make another attempt the next day, or the day after. It was on the third day that he had shuffled over to Sasuke and apologized for being cross with him, Sasuke simply answered by offering a game of cards, a game that he gladly lost.

* * *

Two weeks passed without any real incident. Naoyuki had made another attempt to liberate Akamaru from Inuzuka but it was really all within a month's work. Naoyuki had been trying to steal the large dog for himself since he was four and it had become as much of their routine as anything else Naruto was amused at how difficult it was for Sasuke to wrap his brain around that quirk. Naruto was also fairly happy to see his son finally settle back into a normal pattern, all that was left was the news of the men so intent on hurting his son. That was what brought Naruto the Hokage's office. Kakashi had finally pinpointed their location, Naruto was a little ill to hear that they were situated within fire country. He had to wonder how long they had been planning this, and why it took them almost three years to come back and torment them.

He was given all the information he needed and he was going to head out on a mission to bring down their ring. He was thankful that it was small, seemingly nothing but a bunch of rogues. It didn't matter that he was still tired, this was something he had to do for his son. They were due to leave the next day, he would be going with team Kakashi. It wasn't only their success rate that had granted them this mission, but how personal it was to them.

Naruto was about to head home and prepare for an early leave when Karin walked by him, on her way to see the old woman when her hand clasped around his wrist. "Uzumaki, where are you going?"

Naruto blinked as he stared the red haired woman down, "Home…I need to pack for this mission," he said like it was an absurd question.

She looked over to the old woman and pushed her glasses farther up onto her nose. "I wouldn't advise that, in fact. I'd like to request delay of this mission until Uzumaki is given a medical evaluation," She stated simply.

"On what grounds?" It was the old bag talking this time, she sounded concerned.

"Unfounded ones at the moment, it won't take long. I can give you my opinion in less than an hour," Karin said.

"Uh…Karin, you're freaking me out," Naruto said rubbing his neck as he watched Kakashi, Sakura and Sai stare at him.

"Very well, hurry up then," and they were dismissed.

"I'm going with you," Sakura said once they were outside. "We're on the same mission, I may as well," she was watching Naruto with a concerned look that didn't make Naruto feel any better.

"Whatever, get in my way and I'll knock you out," Karin said, Sakura didn't fight back and that made Naruto feel worse.

Once they were in a medical room Naruto was seated up on the bench fidgeting. Karin was poking and prodding at him for some time. "I'm not dying right?"

"Depends on what you consider the end of your life," Karin shrugged before he sat back with a nod. "It's just as I thought. I guess Congratulations are in order, you're expecting an Uchiha brat."

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked over at Sakura who looked just as surprised before shaking his head, "Nice try, that's not possible…I haven't…even. I haven't had sex since…" he couldn't even say the words.

"Are you sure?" Sakura said with a furrowed brow.

"What? Of course I'm sure! I'm pretty sure I'd be aware if Sasuke decided to bone me sometime between now and then.

"Must you be so crude?" Sakura sighed before she took over the prodding, or at least the analyzing. "She's right…"

"Of course I'm right, I sensed it the second he walked past me," Karin muttered, looking bored now.

Naruto blinked, "I don't get it…" this had to be some cruel trick.

"It seems that you might have been expecting multiples Naruto. You miscarried, I'm positive of it, but only one…How did I miss this?" That information had a weird way of making the previous miscarriage better and worse at the same time.

"Because you're incompetent," Karin provided Sakura.

"So…I'm really? I mean…wait, you said it's Sasuke's?" He was beginning to panic.

"I'd know that sleazy aura anywhere," Karin shrugged.

"Pregnant or not Karin, you refer to my child as sleazy again and I will hurt you," He growled out, but his voice was shaky taking the bite out of the threat.

"Is it only the one chakra signature?" Sakura asked.

"Mmm, as far as I can tell. Anyway, I think I'd highly recommend you leave this mission to the real men…oh and that," she pointed at Sakura.

"You know…I hate you sometimes," Naruto muttered trying to focus on anything that didn't make him numb at the moment.

"Seconded," Sakura said with a heavy sigh. "Let me run a few tests okay Naruto? Then I'll take you home. Karin, go inform the others okay?"

"Don't order me around, I'll do it, but only because I have to be there anyway," Karin turned on her heel and left.

"Is…is there a chance that I can keep it?" Naruto asked quietly.

Sakura watched him for a long moment and she put her hands on Naruto's stomach for a moment. "There's always a chance…but it's not going to be easy."

Naruto bit his lip. A chance was all he needed.

**TBC…**

Ffff, I'm glad so many people seem to like long chapters, because you just got another one. I wanted this up on Friday but I ended up getting super sick, but I'm finally getting better. I hope the wait was worth it, even though it was a little one~

Please leave a review, and thanks to those who have done so, faved and followed!

KoriC


	11. Chapter 10

**Warnings:** Angst, Romance, Mpreg, Slash/Yaoi, language

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything remotely recognizable, I don't profit!

Chapter 10

_"I won't give up on us  
__ Even if the skies get rough  
__ I'm giving you all my love  
__ I'm still looking up, still looking up"_

_—_ Jason Mraz

Naruto sat around in the sterile hospital for what appeared to be hours as Sakura ran every test imaginable on him. They knew what to look out for this time, and Sakura wasn't taking many chances. She sat back with a heavy breath and a smile at some point. "As far as I can tell, everything looks in order Naruto," She said. Her smile was serious, but genuine.

Naruto watched her and he felt something clench inside of him and he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Really?" His voice rasped out of existence, his throat was dry and he was more than a little nervous.

"Yep!" She said with a nod as she stood and filled a small cup with water for him at the sink after washing her hands. "We'll schedule a proper appointment with Karin though, or another sensor because they're better equipped than I am. Someone else will be able to give you solid information."

"Oh…okay," Naruto nodded as he took the last sip of water.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Oh…just fine. I mean…you know, it's kind of…like really…I don't even know how this happened. I mean, I know what happened but…hgnnnn I don't know how I'm going to tell Sasuke…and even worse, I dunno how I'm going to tell Naoyuki," he wanted to flop back, but his brain was telling him to be careful, even though he hadn't been told to be careful.

"You're more afraid to tell Nao?" Sakura took Naruto's hand to help him stand. "We should free this room up. Just take it easy for a few days, and we'll see how you should continue."

"Well…yeah? He's been an only child for seven years, and he's been really upset lately. I mean he's better but…I dunno. Is it too soon to tell him?" In spite of trying to make room for another patient, they lingered.

"You're at about 12 weeks Naruto, you're going to start showing eventually. Some women's stomachs are crazy obvious by now," Naruto didn't like the sound of that. "No, don't worry about it, some women take as long as 20 weeks to show. Nao took a while to show up didn't he?" Tsunade had taken over much of the work when it came to Naruto back then.

"Uh..17 weeks…yeah," Naruto remembered it all so vividly, mostly because he had been scared shitless the entire time.

"See? The riskiest time should be over about now, it's your choice when you tell people, but it should also be safe to mention it," She said with a hum and actually moved to place a hand on his stomach.

"Tickles," Naruto almost batted her hand away but didn't, he was still a little overwhelmed.

"Naruto…are you sure it's a good idea, you know? Being with Sasuke?" the question was asked with hesitance.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto sounded immediately annoyed. It seemed even in the midst of being terrified he could still be offended.

"It's just that…he's not exactly stable, and whenever I see you…are you even sure you're in a relationship?"

"What, just because we haven't had sex in a while? Damn it Sakura, do you think that you'd feel at all turned on after dealing not only with the attempted abduction of your only son, but dealing with a miscarriage at the same time? All our attention has been on Naoyuki. Not only that it's hard to feel particularly sexy when you're hurling every two hours," Naruto's voice was rising, he was so angry he forgot to be embarrassed because in spite of his outgoing personality, sex was still rather private to him.

"No, I'm not talking about your sex life you idiot! It's everything else! He doesn't really seem like someone who can love you properly," she finished.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath and he paced back and forth briefly, trying to keep calm. "We're not like you Sakura. There is absolutely nothing inside of me that has the need to buy Sasuke flowers, or wants to receive flowers from him. I don't need someone serenading how much they love me every morning like fuzzy brows, in fact I don't need it to know that Sasuke feels something. If he didn't, he wouldn't be here."

"You have to see how much different it is from when you were with Shikamaru," Sakura frowned.

"What? You thought that me and Shikamaru were perfect and did cuddly shit all the time? You know what? In all the years that we have or haven't been together we never once exchanged I love yous until…until. Damn it, Sakura I can't always help the way I react to Sasuke, I don't expect you to understand, but it's so much different than any relationship that you can imagine. We have our issues, but guess what? That's our business."

"Naruto…I'm…I didn't mean," She stuttered.

"Yeah, well mean less next time," Naruto said. "Whatever, look I don't need a baby sitter. I'm just going to head home, see you around," He said as he made his way to the door.

"I'm sorry…just, wait a second. Let me at least schedule you an appointment for tomorrow, then I'll be out of your hair," she said softly.

Naruto knew she meant well, but he was in no state to deal with it. He just wanted to go home and hope he could explain everything without Sasuke thinking the wrong things. Then…once Sasuke was dealt with he could take care of Naoyuki. The boy was just starting to settle down again, he didn't want this to be a reason that things fell apart again.

When he arrived home the last thing he expected to see when he walked in the door was Kakashi sitting with Sasuke. He blinked and watched the two who were deathly quiet. "Hey Kakashi…what's going on? Shouldn't you be packing for the mission?"

"Shouldn't you?" Sasuke said, his ankle was resting on his knee and his arm was crossed and Naruto knew he was in shit.

"Karin took me off duty because of…residual uh…effects," He muttered. He could feel Kakashi's eyes drilling into him, Sasuke seemed to accept his answer but there was an unreadable expression on his face.

"I wasn't aware she cared that much for your wellbeing," Kakashi said.

Naruto shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, "Where's Naoyuki?"

"Iruka took him out for a bit," Kakashi said calmly. "Can I talk to you outside Naruto?"

Naruto bit his inner lip. "Uh, yeah. Of course, I'll see you in a bit Sasuke," He said as he went to the front door instead of the garden, because on some level he was annoyed that Kakashi was interfering.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi didn't waste any time once the door was shut.

"Nothing's wrong, why are you here anyway?" He muttered, crossing his arms with a pout as he leaned against the wall of the house.

"Once Iruka found out you've been taken off of active duty he wouldn't leave me alone until I found out. Furthermore, I know something's up. So why don't you just tell me?" Kakashi said, his supposed expression looked harmless and calm, but Naruto knew better. He knew that Kakashi wouldn't leave until he knew.

"Damn it, you two are a pain in my ass," Naruto muttered as he let out a heavy breath. "Look, it's not a big deal or anything, can't we just leave it at that?" They stared at each other for an extended period of time before Naruto slumped. "I may or may not have someone moving into the house in around six months who'll be staying for a good 18 years or so," He muttered, not looking at Kakashi. There was no way he'd admit that his cheeks were ridiculously hot.

"Oh…" Kakashi didn't take any time at all to figure it out. "I don't know about you Naruto, but I think I'd consider that a big deal," he chided.

Naruto groaned, "That's not what I meant! I just meant that…it's…that nothing's wrong or anything. Damn it, did you have to do this now? Now Sasuke's going to suspect something, I wanted to wait until at least tonight or something," He muttered.

Kakashi watched him and he let out a breath, "I can keep Naoyuki occupied for a little while," he offered. It was a sort of apology.

"Thanks…Papa Kashi," he grinned, and it only spread wider when Kakashi took his turn to slouch at Naoyuki's endearment for him. "Be careful…when you're out there okay?" Naruto grew serious.

"Of course," Naoyuki was as much a cause for Kakashi to be angry and want to bring this group to justice as it was for Naruto. The blonde would trust no other more besides himself and Sasuke.

Naruto watched Kakashi a moment, feeling nervous. "Can you maybe…convince Iruka not to say anything until tomorrow? And maybe…not tell Naoyuki just yet?" He was fidgeting.

"I'll see what I can do," Kakashi said and wasn't quite prepared for Naruto to lean forward and hug him. He grew a little tense. Naruto heard a chuckle and he smiled. He usually gave Kakashi a hard time, and usually he'd never consider this, but he felt like he needed it. "I'll let you tell who you need to, when you need to," Kakashi promised and Naruto nodded.

"I'll…try to wrap everything up sooner rather than later," He mumbled as he stepped back. They said their goodbyes before Naruto opened the door. The first step into the house was like the first step off a cliff. He felt the drop in his stomach, and the closer he got to Sasuke, the faster he felt he was falling.

"What's going on? I thought you were going on that mission, and Kakashi tells me otherwise," Sasuke said when he saw him, gravitating toward the deck which didn't surprise Naruto.

He followed and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking to himself quietly "Yeah, I'm not really fit to be out there," He said.

"You're not angry about that? You've been talking about this mission for weeks. What aren't you telling me?" Sasuke said, Naruto could recognize signs that Sasuke was exercising great restraint and caution in what and how he was saying things.

"Why do you always say that? I mean, I didn't know anything until an hour ago and I couldn't leave the hospital or y'know, telepathically tell you anything. I'm not all quiet and psychic like you and Neji, and probably Shino," he mumbled.

"You're an idiot. Well? What is it?" Sasuke asked as he leaned against one of the support beams.

Naruto watched quietly and couldn't help but wonder why Sasuke always looked so regal. All the bastard was doing was leaning and it was like he was absolute perfection. Naruto couldn't help but feel happy, that this was happening, that Sasuke's dream was coming true. He was a little frightened, but that would go away. It was also a little bittersweet, but this was that silver lining shit that people always told him about. "Yeah...uh…I talked to Karin and Sakura today and they discovered that when I miscarried I had been carrying twins," He murmured.

"What?" Sasuke's eyes widened and he looked as if he had been slapped, so Naruto reached forward to grasp Sasuke's wrists, anything to keep him from running. Anything to keep him here, because Naruto needed him. He couldn't go through this all again without Sasuke, not this time.

"No, it's not…" Naruto trailed off. He stood in front of him, using the man's pale wrists to pull him close, so they were standing almost chest to chest. "They know, because Karin noticed something funny," he murmured, his eyes downcast as he placed Sasuke's hands on his stomach. "One of them survived."

Sasuke's hands began to shake almost immediately, Naruto could feel it as his hands slowly slid up Sasuke's arms, almost into his sleeves. His eyes turned to watch the other man's expressions, it was confusion and disarray, but somewhere there was hope. Hope that Sasuke wasn't used to feeling, Naruto was sure of that. "Y-you're…you aren't lying…right?" He could hear the uncertainty, like Sasuke wouldn't survive if this wasn't anything but truth.

"The baby…it's yours Sasuke, Karin could sense it," He whispered.

"Mine…" It was a whisper, so far back in Sasuke's throat that Naruto almost missed it. "This…this is happening," It wasn't a question, there was no uncertainty.

"Yeah, it is," Naruto murmured and when Sasuke slowly slid down to his knees Naruto's eyes widened. Pale hands didn't leave his stomach. He began to fidget self-consciously as Sasuke stared at his stomach. "Your hands are cold," Naruto murmured with a start as the other man's hands slid beneath the black shirt he was wearing. He bit his lip and Sasuke continued, the way Sasuke handled him was as if he were something delicate. Something Naruto would normally fight tooth and nail against. But he knew, now was the right time for caution.

"You're a bit over 12 weeks…you're not showing," Sasuke said. Naruto was well aware of that fact, he still had abs for one thing. He swallowed heavily.

"That's…usually when it happens though isn't it? I don't…I…" Sasuke's brow furrowed as he continued to stare at Naruto's stomach, so hard that the blonde tried to tug his shirt down. "I don't know anything about this…"

"Heh…yeah, scares you shitless huh?" Naruto said nervously as Sasuke just pushed his shirt up again. "Uh…it's fine…yeah, for now y'know? S'far as anyone knows, nothing's wrong," Naruto tugged at his shirt and growled when Sasuke actually slapped the back of his hand lightly. "Quit being weird!" Naruto muttered.

Sasuke was quiet for a long time, Naruto had a hard time seeing his face from this angle so he grew worried. The raven leaned forward until his forehead was pressed gently against Naruto's abdomen, pale hands slowly sliding down to Naruto's hip bones before they dragged around to his back. With Sasuke pushed so firmly against him, he could feel every tremor that quaked through the other man. "Hey…" He whispered and his own hands slid down into Sasuke's hair, petting it gently.

"I don't think I'm ready for this."

Naruto could have sworn he misheard, because it just sounded like Sasuke said he wasn't ready. "What?"

"I'm not prepared! I can't do this!" But instead of letting Naruto go, his pale hands fisted in his black shirt, and held him tighter.

"I don't…What are you saying Sasuke? Are you…you can't want me to…" Naruto's throat was dry and he could feel the ground falling out from beneath him at the same rate as the sky is falling down around him. No…he needed Sasuke, he couldn't do this alone again. He wasn't strong enough, and Sasuke was asking him to cease and desist. He couldn't do this alone, but if Sasuke felt this way he couldn't say yes to that either. "You were so angry…" Sasuke was so angry when he had lost the previous one.

"I'm still angry!" He growled and refused to let go even though Naruto's hands were trying to pry his hands away. Even though there was a mile long fissure in his voice because it was too much. He thought he had everything, the entire future he had dreamt about. He thought he knew who Sasuke was, he had been so sure that even if they had to face hell all over again, that they could make it…because this was them. Nothing compared to this feeling, it wasn't romantic but hells if they couldn't stand up against anything so long as they could come home together and just be moronic, or as passionate as they needed to be.

"No…Please don't ask this Sasuke, I won't!" Naruto's nails were opening the skin on Sasuke's wrist, but the damned bastard refused to budge.

"I'm so angry Naruto…" The way he said his name was the same way he said it when he worried about Naruto. "I don't want to feel this. I can't be a father again while I'm feeling like this! I want to forget it!"

"I can't put my life on hold for you Sasuke! Not this time," Naruto's was shaking then, and his hands eventually stopped and just held onto Sasuke's forearms. He wanted to collapse, but the fright that he would end up bending to Sasuke's will was too great, so he stayed standing. "You might be able to forget something like this…but I can't," Naruto shook his head.

"I want to forget this anger!" Naruto hadn't understood. "I need your help. I need you…I need everything about you," Naruto's eyes widen, because this is the closest thing Sasuke has ever gotten to a confession of love. He hadn't realized how much he needed to hear it until Sasuke's words began to scrape at the underbelly of those three words that terrified even Naruto. "Please…" Sasuke doesn't beg, not like this. He begged for his child, he begged for Naoyuki, he begged to be able to stay because of their son…never for Naruto.

"Sasuke…you're scaring me," He whispered and Sasuke shook his head, and it wasn't until the man's face was absent from his stomach that he realized that Sasuke was crying, and it was so foreign to think that the other man could have broken before him.

"Please…I need you to love me, so I can forget this hatred," He whispered. Naruto stared behind Sasuke, down the path overgrown with hedges and plants that Naoyuki had insisted upon. The path disappeared to the back roads of the compound, to the lake. "I'm so lost Naruto…you beautiful dumbass," The blonde couldn't help a pathetic laugh. "I'm so angry, when you aren't here, when Nao isn't here. I can't just sit and be civil because I'm lost under all this hatred. I sat there with Kakashi, and all I wanted to do was rip his face from existence because he couldn't tell me where you were. I'm still here somewhere, underneath all this anger and hate. I didn't think I was but I am, I feel it when you let me in…Please!" Sasuke pleaded and his hands were pressing so deeply into Naruto's back that the blonde was absolutely positive he'd have bruises there for weeks, now that he was void of his usual healing abilities, but it was the last thing on his mind. "Please…" Sasuke's voice was hardly audible over the gentle breeze that kissed Naruto's cheek. Sasuke was pleading to him…asking for Naruto to please love him.

"Sasuke…don't you see?" he whispered, but it had taken him ages to think of what to say. There had been nothing but the wind tousling through their hair, forcing a shiver through Naruto's body. "When I tried to bring you back…when we stood there chest to chest in what was left of Orochimaru's lair…when we found one another in that nameless town all those years ago…and when I pleaded for you to come home. When I asked for you to come back with me, all I had ever wanted to do was love you Sasuke. You left me…you broke my heart at my last desperate measure, because…Damn it Sasuke!" Naruto was crying now and he hated it, he hated every single moment of it, and he wondered if his body was getting back at him for almost eight long years of keeping up a strong front. "I gave up…because if loving you couldn't bring you back, then what would? Before I ever knew about Naoyuki, I was doing everything in my power to leave you alone because you didn't want me the way I wanted you…I stopped going after you because my love wasn't enough…what would you have me do Sasuke?" Naruto asked the question, and he was asking about all those years ago, not this moment because this moment he knew exactly what he felt.

"Try again…" Sasuke whispered. Naruto realized that Sasuke wasn't telling him to try again…he was asking him to try to love him again. "I'm not home…not yet…please just try again," He sounded pathetic and his hands eventually let go of his shirt and begin to slip down, over his backside down to the backs of his thighs.

"You're an idiot…" Naruto murmured, it's not a sentiment that he can often express. He reached down, and lifted Sasuke's wrists. He knelt in front of the man, his eyes were red in a way the Sharingan had never shown him, and instead of tears of blood in front of Naruto knelt a man with real tears. This wasn't the prodigy, the genius, the avenger, the terrorizing immoral beast the villagers spoke of. It was just a man. Sasuke wasn't ready for another child, but he wanted to be. When they were finally face to face, Naruto ducked under and before their lips met he whispered, "Nothing…Sasuke, could keep me from loving you." When they meet, it wasn't an explosion, there were no catastrophic waves or any ground moving quakes. Instead there was an unstoppable force that Naruto had felt every day since he had met Sasuke, something he couldn't have stopped if he wanted to.

"Don't lie to me…" Sasuke felt it too, Naruto could tell. He knew the second their lips met that Sasuke felt every bit of the emotion he did. It was an underlying thing in their lives, perhaps they didn't always know it was there but it kept on, and likely would keep on long after they were gone from the world.

"It was true then, and it's true now Sasuke. I love you…and I know you're still there, because I see you every day Sasuke. I don't see Uchiha Sasuke…I see you," He whispered and rests his forehead against the other man's.

"Don't…lie," Sasuke whispered again, when their lips met again, it was Sasuke's doing. "Can we do this?" He asked softly, and Naruto felt Sasuke's hand on his stomach again. "Do I have enough good in me? Naoyuki is wonderful…but it's not because of me, what if…what if they end up like me?"

"Sasuke…you aren't the same man you were," He whispered. "If they end up like you, then we'll have a beautiful child. It gives us no reason to love them any less…you'll be okay…we'll be okay," Naruto said.

"How can you always be so sure?"

"Because I know you Sasuke. We can do this, will you…will you please stay with me? I can't do this alone…" Naruto. Sasuke lifted his hand then, and placed it against Naruto's cheek. He let his thumb swipe at the drying tear tracks on his face.

Sasuke was quiet, and Naruto wondered if he was gathering his thoughts…weighing his options or if he was thinking of running again. "Ask me…ask anything of me right now," Sasuke murmured. "Anything else…and I'll answer the other question after."

Naruto's eyes widened and he couldn't help but bite the inner side of his lip. Sasuke always told him what to do. Sasuke never asked for anything because they both knew that Naruto would do anything, he didn't need to be asked. They knew that, just like they both knew that Naruto never asked for anything unless he needed to, and even when he did Sasuke didn't always give him what he wanted. "Tell me how you feel about me…please?" Naruto whispered. To be needed was wonderful, but it meant nothing if Sasuke was doing it only because he had to.

Sasuke swallowed, but the answer came sooner than Naruto thought it would. "I love you…everything about you Naruto and nothing less. I think…I have for a long time, but I was too afraid to admit it," Sasuke didn't look away from him and Naruto felt a tension release from his body, a tension he had been holding onto since he was 15. He collapsed into Sasuke's arms, and after a long moment they shifted until they were seated side by side, Naruto wrapped securely in the crook of Sasuke's arm with the raven's warmth bleeding through him. Naruto can understand then, what it meant to find a home.

"Will you stay?" Naruto asked once more. He knew the answer, but he had to hear it. Sasuke didn't even delay in answering.

"As long as you'll let me," he said and gathered Naruto a little closer, his hand on the blonde's stomach. "As long as you'll guide me," he finished.

"We'll figure it out," it's a promise that Naruto refused to ever go back on. If there was ever a promise he had made, he would keep that one.

They settled into a comfortable silence, and just for a few moments they allowed nothing else to bother them, because true peace was hard to come by. The front door slammed shut after a while and sure enough as they breathed, Naoyuki's heavy footsteps came barrelling around the house looking for them. "Dad!" He exclaimed when he saw them. He ran over, and before he could slam against Naruto's back Sasuke intercepted, he caught Naoyuki around the waist and lifted him into his lap as the boy squealed with laughter. "What are you doing dad!?" He laughed before he's settled into Sasuke's lap, and his legs rested across Naruto's lap.

"You seem excited," Sasuke murmured with a smile.

"You should have seen it dad! Grandpa Iruka took me to the park and when Papa Kashi got there a butterfly landed on me! It was so cool!" Naoyuki was bubbling with glee. Naruto's hand rested on Naoyuki's feet and he smiled.

"Isn't it a little early for butterflies?" Sasuke asked.

"I guess, but it's a little bit warmer right now right?" Naoyuki said as he squirmed in Sasuke's lap. "Look there's one right now!" He slid away from the pair and ran toward it, slowing down as he got closer like it would happen again.

Naruto laughed softly and rested against Sasuke again, who had a small regal smile on his face as well.

"Aren't you two adorable," Kakashi's voice sounded above them and much to Naruto's happiness, Sasuke didn't even flinch.

"Shut up," Naruto turned to look at their former teacher with a lazy smile on his face.

"Please do," Sasuke muttered.

"I might offer congratulations, but I figured it would be a bigger gift to convince Iruka to stay outside. You better go see him before he comes in and blows it to the rest of your little family," Kakashi said, his arms crossed as he watched Naoyuki.

"Look at me!" Naoyuki calls over and the butterfly he had been chasing was perched on his forearm, and Naoyuki was staring in wonder.

Naruto smiled quietly and he placed his hand over Sasuke's. He gave it a brief squeeze before he dislodged it and moved to stand. "I think I better go and convince Iruka that he shouldn't move in," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"Please…do," Sasuke cleared his throat in nervousness before he stood to go over to Naoyuki.

He walked by Kakashi and his arm drops before he looks up at the other man with a heavy breath. "Find them…please," He murmured. He knew he had said something earlier, but he knew this would be the last he saw of Kakashi until the mission was over. "I don't care what happens, I want them here In Konoha or off this planet," He murmured.

Kakashi kept his eye on Naruto's face until he finished before he nodded. "Your will is with us," Kakashi's hand rested on Naruto's shoulder briefly, a gesture he was more comfortable with rather than their previous embrace.

Naruto nodded and offered a smile, "Wish me luck…I think my mission is going to be more difficult," He said as he sucked in a deep breath and walked out to meet Iruka.

**TBC…**

Ffffff…sorry it's so short. I feel like this needs to be its own chapter.

Did you know? When I started this fic, I had no idea how I was going to be able to write more than six chapters. I'm not kidding when I say that I am so unbelievably overwhelmed with the amount of support you are all giving me. I never imagined anything like this, all the conversations I've had with you lovely people have inspired this fic to become what it is on a lot of levels~

So thanks, once more to all those who've reviewed, faved, and followed and those who might in the future.

KoriC


	12. Chapter 11

**Warnings:** Sexual themes, Language, Yaoi/Slash, MPreg, violence, angst, h/c, probably fluff of some sort

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own anything remotely recognizable

Chapter 11

When Naruto stepped outside he had been expecting a lot of things, a threat to castrate Sasuke, a loud high pitched squawk of what the hell was Naruto thinking…he wasn't quite expecting to be wrapped in an embrace he was sure was about to crack his ribs. "I-Iruka…need to breathe," He wheezed out only to be given little relief.

"I can't believe you. Since when did you get so quiet?" Iruka sounded sort of disbelieved, but Naruto wasn't entirely sure why.

"What do you mean by that?" He blinked and he tried to pry Iruka's arms into something that was at least comfortable. He was happy though, there was a weird relief spreading through him fast, because he remembered everyone's reaction to Naoyuki. Everyone had expected him to be rid of his son, because Sasuke was a lying, conniving, evil bastard. Maybe people were starting to realize what Naruto had known the entire time, that Sasuke needed guidance now as much as Sasuke had needed when he was a child…but he was never given it because everyone thought he was perfect.

"First, you don't tell me about getting together with Sasuke, and then I have to hear about how you almost left all of us because of him, now this?" Iruka's arms finally slackened a bit and the older man pushed Naruto back just a bit, putting him at arms-length and began to inspect him.

"Well…I mean…I knew what I was doing," Naruto tried to convince himself, but he was starting to think that the only one who didn't know the lengths he'd go for Sasuke was Naruto…at least between those directly involved. "And this isn't really…I mean, I had to tell him first," Naruto mumbled as he started to shift under Iruka's evaluating gaze. He remembered Sasuke's insistence on shoving his shirt up and was all of a sudden self-conscious again.

"I guess…so when should I start packing my things in?" Iruka asked. He knew Kakashi was joking previously, but he had a secret fear that Iruka would actually ask.

"Wh—…no it's okay Iruka, I couldn't," He tried to grin while batting at Iruka's hands because he was starting to move toward his stomach. "I know what I'm doing now, besides I have Sasuke," He tried to reason.

"Oh please, if it were up to you, you would be hiding up in your room for the next…how long is it?"

"Six months…give or take."

"Six months, bitching and whining about how you don't want to go outside," Iruka was starting to take on a scolding tone that Naruto was only used to using on Naoyuki.

"Did you just swear?" Naruto frowned. He had never heard Iruka swear before. He worked with children, and even when Naruto grew up Iruka's vocabulary was almost unbelievably child friendly.

"I don't think you know how you sounded back then," Iruka started to fuss at him again, "When was the last time you ate?"

"Hey…I mean…this morning," Naruto grabbed Iruka's wrists again, exasperated.

"Besides, Sasuke doesn't know anything, he's about as nurturing as a rabbit," Iruka's hand rested on his forehead and Naruto snorted heavily.

"Please, he's new to this but it isn't completely new…I can handle it," Naruto tried again, not really understanding the rabbit thing because those little bastards were adorable and Sasuke really wasn't.

"Do you not want me around?" Iruka asked then, sounding offended but amazingly kept the hurt off his face.

"Iruka, it isn't anything like that," Naruto could hear the pout in his own voice. "Sasuke makes you uncomfortable, even he knows it and besides…we're just starting to get the hang of things, I just don't want to put him on edge again," He said quietly. Iruka staying with them could potentially drive a wedge between them, even though Iruka meant well. He was a little more afraid of that, because even if he hadn't been particularly forward, the last time Sasuke had even kissed him was when he apologized for his poor reaction to his miscarriage…before today at least.

Iruka watched him for a moment, finally letting his hands fall away from him and Naruto imagined that he was going over all the information in his head. "You'll call for me the second you think you need some help?" Iruka asked, his voice quiet.

"Obviously," Naruto managed a smile before he was pulled into another bone brushing hug.

"You're still a brat," Iruka said and Naruto could hear the smile in his voice.

"Thanks for taking care of me," Naruto murmured softly. Sasuke may have been his most important person, but he wasn't sure he could have ever made it out of his childhood without Iruka.

When Naruto finally managed to step back into his house his legs almost folded underneath him. He ran his fingers through his hair and made his way back to Sasuke and Naoyuki who had finally come back in the house. "I did it," Naruto said on the trail of an exasperated breath. "I don't know how, but I did it," he was so relieved that he had convinced Iruka to stay at his house. It wasn't that he didn't love his former instructor, but Sasuke and Iruka under the same roof for that long would likely end in someone's dismemberment.

Sasuke looked up at him and Naruto could see the tension release from his body before he turned to grin at Kakashi. "Now you, get home and get ready for your mission," His grin quickly turned into a frown, but it was mostly out of worry.

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh, "Being ordered around by my own student, my I am getting old aren't I?" Kakashi mumbled with a shrug.

"You still look the same to me Papa Kashi," Naoyuki said. He was lazily leaning against Sasuke's leg with a soft smile on his face.

Kakashi crouched down in front of Naoyuki and Naruto could see Sasuke itching to step away and an odd feeling swept through him. Sasuke's all but forced integration back into the village must have been difficult.

"Glad you think so. You think you can do something for me while I'm away?" Kakashi said, his hand resting on Naoyuki's shoulder.

"Hm?" Nao's head tipped to the side and he leaned even more on Sasuke's leg causing the man to shift his body weight.

"You be good okay?" There was an evident smile on Kakashi's face at Naoyuki's confused expression.

"I'm always good," Naoyuki mumbled and Sasuke let out a firm snort.

"I am!" Naoyuki says with a frown on his face.

"Do you need to be reminded that you're grounded Naoyuki?" Naruto said with a smile on his face as he finally stepped forward to join the trio.

"No…" Naoyuki let out a heavy sigh and he pushed away from Sasuke, clearly scorned.

"Do I also have to remind you that it's still cold out and you need to wear your coat?" Naruto continued.

"No…" his shoulders slumped and he stepped forward and firmly hugged Kakashi around the legs. "Be careful, kay Papa?" His voice sounded small, but it was only for a moment. "And when you come back, save me from them," he pointed firmly at Naruto and Sasuke, his tongue poked out.

"I'll see what I can do," a deep chuckle sounded from Kakashi before he stood. He shared a look with Naruto, and briefly with Sasuke before he headed for the door.

"Coat, now, or get your butt inside," Naruto said firmly and with an aggravated noise Naoyuki opted to go inside rather than put on that adorable coat that Sakura had bought him.

"Why is Kakashi Papa?" Sasuke asked bluntly once Naoyuki was inside. Naruto blinked, not expecting that sort of question from Sasuke.

"I don't get it…" Naruto frowned

"He calls Kakashi Papa, it's typically another form of father and I want to know why Kakashi's being called it."

"Oh…well actually it's kind of funny. When Nao was about here," Naruto held his hand to just above his knee, "he was introduced to the pack…formally and he kind of started calling Kakashi puppy. Papa was the furthest Kakashi could wean him from it, I wouldn't count on it changing," Naruto said with a chuckle before he moved toward the house. He was feeling happy…almost entirely fully happy for the first time in a long time. "Besides, you're pretty smart or whatever, I think you can figure out who he's talking to," Naruto waved his hand as he trotted up the steps and ducked into their home.

"That wasn't the problem," Sasuke mumbled before Naruto heard Sasuke's footsteps following him inside.

* * *

That night once Naoyuki was soundly asleep in his bed and Naruto had finished tidying up the kitchen, he had full intentions to go to his study and look through a couple of scrolls Gaara had sent him on seal work. He was in for a few months of a whole lot of nothing and he was prepared to meet his fate. He didn't make it far before he felt Sasuke's hands force him to stop in mid step. Naruto could feel the warmth spread through him as he felt Sasuke's body press against his back, his hands resting on his hips and allowing one to slowly slip beneath the black shirt he wore. "Sasuke," He breathed out, hands ready to try and stop the other man.

"Shh…" The breath in Naruto's ear sent a shiver running down his spine and he nodded dumbly, allowing himself to lean back against the other man. "Naoyuki is just down the hall," Sasuke murmured, and hell if Sasuke's hands weren't the only thing keeping Naruto from stripping right there. Sasuke's lack of interest in him over the past couple of weeks was starting to worry him a little. They'd been fighting, yes and with the news of another addition to the family it wasn't completely out of the question that Sasuke might be weirded out by him.

"Sasuke…bedroom," Or anywhere else, but what he was rewarded with was Sasuke's firm palm massaging him through his pants. Naruto nearly sliced his own lip open as he bit it to silence himself. He could already feel the flush working up his chest as his hand reached for purchase on the wall and he ended up knocking a picture of the guys askew. Sasuke didn't seem to care though as he grinded into Naruto, their hips moving in a sensual swaying motion that forced Naruto to cover his mouth with his hand to stifle a groan. He kind of hated Sasuke at the moment. "Sasuke!" he hissed, his hands reaching for Sasuke's wrists.

"You complain a lot," Sasuke murmured, his hips shifting and he could feel Sasuke's clothed member press against him and he shivered in anticipation. Call it what you like, sex once in three months was far too little for Naruto and it had him on edge. "Fine," Sasuke sounded dismissive but before Naruto knew it he was being dragged around the corner into their bedroom. Before he could register anything he was pressed up against the now closed door with Sasuke's tongue flicking at his teeth. Naruto's hands gripped at Sasuke's shoulders and his hands dragged down as a groan was coaxed from his lips. Just as his fingers scraped down Sasuke's arms, the other man's teeth scraped at his bottom lip. He was used to them being passionate in some form, sex between them so far had always been because Sasuke was trying to leave, trying to do something. This, whatever this was, felt more exhilarating.

Sasuke's hips were suddenly grounding into his again, Naruto's lashes fluttered against his cheeks when he pulled back, sucking in a sharp breath before he ducked his head back, needing Sasuke's lips on his. His hands fell from the Raven's arms and as his own hands pushed at Sasuke's open over shirt, Sasuke's hands were groping at his backside. "After…I'm going to have you against this door," Sasuke murmured into his ear.

"Yes please…" Naruto could only moan quietly in response before Sasuke pulled away leaving Naruto too cold for comfort. Sasuke's hand wound in his and tugged him toward the bed. The breath slowly seeped out of him as Sasuke urged him to lay back on the bed before he crawled over him. Naruto bit his lip as his eyes spread over the expanse of pale skin. Sasuke wasn't flawless, but he was so close it almost hurt. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss over a faded scar on the man's chest before Sasuke's hand on his chest pushed him toward the bed. That hand glided down to his stomach and stayed there and Naruto swore his swallow was audible. What followed was the shedding of their clothes before Sasuke treated him to a thorough teasing, and each time Naruto tried to lift his hands to touch Sasuke, to bring him any sort of pleasure the raven caught his wrists and held them tightly. He knew that Sasuke enjoyed his control, but it was driving him mad. Sasuke's lips and teeth teased at his chest until he felt the sharp discomfort of Sasuke's teeth at his nipple. He grunted and pushed at Sasuke's head, "Fuck, cut it out," He growled.

When Sasuke pulled back his eyebrow had risen and Naruto instantly felt his other nipple pinched at until it was firmly pebbled, "You curse so often," Sasuke said with a smug smirk on his smug face.

"What…you wan—" Naruto used his nails to pinch at the skin of Sasuke's inner wrist until he pulled his wrist back in discomfort. "—want me to change?" Naruto glared.

Sasuke's smirk only grew larger, "Never," when Sasuke's hands finally abandoned his chest to firmly stroke him. It was about time, his chest was damned sore.

"Good…" his voice strangled out into a moan deep in his chest before he raised his fist to his lips and sunk his teeth firmly into the tip of his thumb.

"Quiet now," Sasuke murmured, the smooth rumble of his voice doing nothing but making Naruto more eager. Sasuke shifted and before long Naruto felt the raven's long digits begin to press inside and thoroughly prepare him.

"Shut up…" Naruto's knuckles kept cracking as he fisted his hands, trying to keep himself quiet. He was absolutely positive that Sasuke was taking his sweet ass time just to watch him struggle. He reached up and dragged Sasuke down, meshing their lips together until they were breathless. His hips arched against those fingers and he let out a low whine. When he heard a corresponding growl his lips quirked, it was the reaction he wanted.

"Turn over," Sasuke breathed out once they parted. They shared a brief look before Naruto nodded, sucking in a deep breath trying to regulate himself. He turned the moment Sasuke allowed him the room and with a guiding hand Naruto was pressed flat against the mattress forcing him to shift until he found a comfortable way to lie down. He bit his lip again the moment Sasuke's hands began to fondle his ass until he was on display for the Raven. He had little time to be embarrassed before there was a blunt force pressing into him. His fingers grasped for anything, settling finally into his own hair as he let out a deep keen into the bed as Sasuke sank fully into him, spreading him further than he could remember and pulling him away from any sort of cohesion. Like his lack of warning, Sasuke began to pump his hips in a smooth undulating motion, settling into a rhythm that had Naruto fighting to keep quiet, especially when, with Sasuke's urging the arch of his hips found that spot inside of him.

"Sas…" It was as strangled as anything he had attempted to say, especially since Sasuke's hands were caressing down his back, his sides. He tickled at places that oddly only increased the pleasure he felt and the moment Sasuke's hand slipped beneath him and curved over his ribs to his stomach he almost lost it. Sasuke's hand stayed there even as the Raven's lips found his spine and he drove into Naruto even harder. It kept on, the overwhelming sensations of Sasuke inside him, around him and everything between them took little time to drive the pair over the edge with Naruto's cry into the covers beneath him and Sasuke's heavy pleased sigh in Naruto's ear. They rode out the orgasm until Naruto sunk heavily to the bed forcing Sasuke to pull out of him.

"Thank you," Sasuke murmured in that same deep voice that that enamored him time and time again as his hand finally slid from his belly.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder through half lidded eyes and could hardly manage a quirk of his lip. If he hadn't felt exhausted before (and he had), he surely felt it now. As far as Naruto could tell, Sasuke had sat back, his hands ghosting over Naruto's thighs gently. "Hgn…no, let me sleep," Naruto reached back to bat at Sasuke's hands but missed and earned himself a light pinch to his inner thigh. "Fuck you Sasuke," Naruto muttered, he was quite honestly hardly awake. He was sated and relaxed and Sasuke was doing everything to ruin it.

"Is that an invitation?"

"Do you want to sleep outside, asshole?" Naruto growled, not even opening his eyes. He heard a chuckle over his shoulder before Sasuke's weight left the mattress. He was almost asleep when he felt a warm cloth begin to clean him up and he let out a low whine. "Saaaasuke…Iwannasleep," he mumbled.

"In a minute," Sasuke's voice had softened considerably and short moments later Sasuke's warmth settled against his side, gently coaxing him onto his side until they were effectively spooned together. Sasuke's hand rested on his stomach.

* * *

Naruto's exam with Karin was scheduled while Naoyuki was in school, which was fantastic. Sasuke had been a little careful around him all night. He insisted that he go with Naruto to his exam, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Part of him was amused, the other half was a little touched. The day before had been rather difficult on the both of them.

So that had them in the examination room with Sasuke standing seemingly casually by. Naruto could see the tension in the other man's limbs though as they waited for Karin to show up. He was hoping that whatever tension that was between them wouldn't be a problem. The door swung open and Karin walked in overlooking some documents and it was a moment before she peeked over top of her glasses at the two of them. "Oh look, if it isn't the happy couple," She muttered and Naruto immediately wished that he had requested someone else, even if Karin was the best sensor they had.

"Just get on with it," Sasuke muttered, not even looking at her, his eyes were instead on some of the odd looking tools and diagrams around the room.

"In this room the chain of command ends with you Sasuke," Karin said with a bored expression, "So keep your mouth shut or you'll be escorted out," Naruto was sure that he heard Sasuke's jaw click. They all knew that one complaint in Sasuke's behaviour could set all the work Naruto had done to keep the raven free back to square one. Sasuke kept quiet after that, only asking questions when he felt he needed to. It might have been over seven years since he had last been in this situation but Naruto was familiar enough and remembered enough and was quite ready to go home now.

"Is it safe to have sex?" Sasuke's voice held no expression in them, no hesitance, it was like he was reading a fact from a book.

"Wh—…Sasuke! Shut your ever loving mouth," Naruto groaned as he leaned back slinging his arms over his eyes. It wasn't as if it was already too late for that question.

"I can't think of any reason why not from what I can see," Karin said, sounding just as indifferent and Naruto was only mortified further. "We'll treat this as a week by week process, more often if there are obvious complications. If it goes smoothly we can put more time between appointments, but judging by your previous pregnancy chances are that you might have some complications."

"Complications?" Naruto could hear the well hidden note of worry in Sasuke's voice when he asked and he looked up at the man standing beside him. Without thinking his fingers reached for Sasuke's in comfort, linking only the tips.

"Naruto's stamina is nowhere what it used to be, he's relying only on his own chakra, and not even all of his chakra," she proceeded to go into detail about how the Kyuubi was compensating for what Naruto's body lacked on its own, not only that, but the fox was essentially focusing everything on making what should be impossible, possible. Not only did she speak to those issues, but other things like developmental complications that might arise, precursors that arose while carrying Naoyuki. "Everything checks out right now, so stop nagging about it Sasuke. You can go get dressed Naruto, test results shouldn't take long, so we'll see you tomorrow for that. Other than that, you're free to go, just take it easy and if anything changes find your way here," Karin said, she would have sent them out some time ago but she started explaining things, more for Sasuke's benefit than Naruto's.

"For the love of…Sasuke, I can get dressed on my own," Naruto growled in annoyance as Sasuke attempted to follow him out. "I need to take a piss so you can just stay here," Naruto mumbled irritably.

* * *

Sasuke let out a heavy breath as he watched Naruto walk out the door. He was more than a little overwhelmed with the situation they found themselves in. He had an indescribable sense of peace and some other things he wasn't equipped to identify, so overwhelmed covered it quite well. In his state of mind, the last thing he wanted to do was spend any time with Karin so the idea of hovering outside of the bathroom stall wasn't an issue…for him at least.

When the door shut they remained quiet, which in Sasuke's experience was unusual for Karin. She had often taken any chance to plaster herself to his side when they were on the road together. He had never imagined having to try and get along with her after everything was over, because to Sasuke, Karin was nothing more than a necessity.

"I never imagined you as being one to settle down with an insufferable moron," Karin muttered as she looked over the papers she had while jotting various notes down.

"I never imagined I gave you much chance to know what I'm like in the first place," Sasuke said calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He can't possibly make you happy, I know how much you like your space."

"Karin, stop talking," Sasuke was getting irritated now, especially when she stood to stare him in the face. He was mildly impressed that she didn't show any signs of that obsessive teenager she had been.

"I can do that," Sasuke wasn't quite prepared for Karin to lean forward, especially not so quick to steal a kiss from his lips. Maybe he thought too soon. They had barely made contact before his hand was firmly on her jaw and forcing her back. His grip tightened and even when her hands gripped at his wrists, clawing at him trying to make him let go he didn't.

"Touch me again, and I promise that I will break this," he heard a bone crack and he wasn't sure if it was his hand or her jaw, but he did know that she whimpered in discomfort. "Understood?"

"Mhmm," came her muffled response and Sasuke dropped his hand and watched as she shifted her jaw around, trying to find comfort again.

"You are an asshole," Karin muttered as she stepped back with a firm glare.

"You're unprofessional and pathetic. I thought you were supposed to be Naruto's friend, he saved you from rotting in prison after all," He was more than a little annoyed with her.

Karin simply shrugged, "I'm not looking for friends," she said as she straightened her clothes out and she left the room with all her things and not another word.

"Oh, Hey Karin," Naruto said with a grin before he stepped back into the room. "Ready to go bastard?" Sasuke watched as Naruto's face stayed in that ridiculously wide smile and he nodded with a quirk to his own lip. Maybe it wasn't obvious to others why Naruto made him happy, but it was to Sasuke, especially if such a dumb grin could put him at ease.

* * *

Over the next few days Sasuke was more than relieved to hear that Naruto and their child were in perfect health. There were no signs of complications more than Naruto's sometimes more severe symptoms. For the most part in the coming weeks Naruto's morning sickness seemed to be ebbing, but his sleeping hadn't. He spent a lot of his time searching through his extensive selection of scrolls. It was mostly up to Sasuke to keep Naoyuki from becoming a little too rowdy with Naruto. They had begun talking about Sasuke training their son to control his Sharingan, but the boy was still hesitant. Naoyuki seemed to be the only one who got out of the house. Sasuke was perfectly fine going out and getting whatever the house needed but Naruto rarely left because he was too tired.

Sasuke was seated on the back deck, Naruto was laying down on his side with a scroll spread out in front of them and every once in a while he'd ask Sasuke what he thought of any awkward print that Naruto was having trouble deciphering. For the most part it was peaceful though. Sasuke often felt overwhelmed, his best way of coping was to put it at the back of his mind because panicking over something Naruto seemed so calm about would have been mortifying.

"Dad!" Naoyuki ran over to them, but through unintentional conditioning from Sasuke he slowed down before he got to the pair and sat down at Naruto's back. Sasuke looked at their son and was met with a bun and some tomatoes on a dish. Sasuke blinked and in the brief moment it took for him to take the plate from Naoyuki he recalled the first time he had ever seen his son in that nameless town, the boy who changed his life by simply feeding him. "T-thank you…" Naruto had been unintentionally teaching both Sasuke and Naoyuki manners it seemed.

Naoyuki simply grinned and he grabbed one for Naruto too, "Here's one for you too dad," Naoyuki said before he awkwardly flopped against Sasuke's side too forcing Sasuke to blink at the added weight. He stared down at the two for a moment before clearing his throat as Naoyuki began to dig a hole into his bun to place his cherry tomato inside. He ate there happily for a moment and Sasuke had turned his attention back on the garden as Naruto read and Naoyuki kept his arm pinned to his side as he ate. "Dad, why are you sleeping all the time?"

Sasuke looked down to Naruto who did seem like he was drifting back into sleep again. "Mn, just a little under the weather kiddo," Naruto said with a lazy smile.

"Oh…am I going to catch it?" Naoyuki said as he bit into his food, an audible pop of the Tomato being punctured could be heard. Naruto chuckled and shook his head as he finished the last of the plain bread Naoyuki had given him.

"Not a chance," the blonde said, clearly amused.

"Oh…so does that mean it's bad?" Naoyuki sounded a little frightened and Sasuke didn't know where the feeling came from, but his fingers were brushing Naoyuki's shaggy hair back before he could stop himself.

"I promise, it's not bad at all," Naruto said with a smile.

"Good," Naoyuki let out a heavy breath before his cornflower blue eyes met with Sasuke's, as if asking if Naruto was telling the truth.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Sasuke said and he saw the tension fade from Naoyuki's body.

Sasuke looked down at the other man and offered his last cherry tomato.

"Eugh, No thank you," Naruto's face scrunched up. "I'd rather eat something that doesn't taste like rotting."

Sasuke snorted and looked to Naoyuki, "Okay, tell me who I need to thank for your good eating habits," clearly it wasn't Naruto, but all Naruto did was mumble and Naoyuki giggled before finishing his last bite, deciding to stay quiet with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hey, can I go out and play?" Naoyuki asked.

"Only if you wear your coat," Naruto said and the boy immediately slumped and nodded in defeat.

"Kay…" He mumbled and he went in search for that awful cat eared coat.

Once Naoyuki was out the door Sasuke looked back down to Naruto who was effectively trying to sleep again. Sasuke took the chance to flick him lightly on the forehead, "Oi, bastard! Can't you let me sleep? This growing a human business is tiring," Naruto batted at his hand and Sasuke smirked.

"When are you going to tell him?" He asked, now serious.

"Oh…I dunno," Naruo shrugged as he leaned up on his elbow to look over the scroll. "I guess sometime before it gets really obvious…might be a while," Naruto lifted up his shirt and his stomach was still flat.

"Can you be serious for a moment, moron?" Sasuke let out a heavy sigh.

"Damn it Sasuke, I don't even know," Naruto slumped back down to Sasuke's lap. "I spend all my time trying to keep him at least a little informed so he doesn't panic…but this…maybe we should ask him how he'd feel about it first. Well, maybe not, he might think he has a choice," Naruto let out a heavy sigh and he closed his eyes. Sasuke could practically feel the heavy mood around him. If the topic didn't need to be discussed anyway, he'd probably feel bad for bringing it up.

"It might be the best way though, I can't see it going badly," Sasuke mused as he thought the scenario over. Naoyuki, especially when happy, was full of life and willing to share his happiness with everyone and anyone else.

"I hope he's happy about it," Naruto said with a smile and he poked lightly at his stomach before he let out a heavy sigh.

"I think you should do it sooner rather than later," Sasuke said, keeping secrets from Naoyuki was a feat not easily done.

"Ugh, if you hush I'll think about it," Naruto muttered as he shifted on his side again clearly trying to get back to sleep. The silence didn't last long though, but it was Naruto who broke the peace this time. "I think…that after all this, I'm going to take the old woman up on her offer," Naruto said with a hum.

"Old woman?"

"Oh…uh, the fifth," Naruto's mouth clearly didn't say the word often judging by the way his face scrunched as he said it. "I keep thinking about everything and every time something happens, I'm somewhere else, protecting something else, protecting rights that are so far off in the future…I'm needed here," Naruto said softly.

"You think so?" Sasuke's fingers ran through Naruto's hair, there was something inside of him…when they were kids he didn't think Naruto had a shot in hell at obtaining his dreams. He was honestly glad to be proven wrong, time and time again.

"Well…yeah. I kind of promised I wouldn't do anything until I found a way to negotiate with the Hyuuga family, but part of it is knowing how to remove the seal," Sasuke nodded, he hadn't known much about it until he had moved in with Naruto who talked about all the things he had to do in a constant stream. "Not just creating more awful ones," Naruto muttered.

"What do you mean? You've said that before," Sasuke asked.

"Oh yeah…that," Naruto looked up and he shifted onto his other side, so he was facing the doorway to the house instead. Sasuke felt a light breeze on his bare skin as Naruto pushed the shirt from Sasuke's shoulder and his hand landed on the seal in the middle of his chest. "This one, I had to make…it was the only way the council agreed to let you live," He murmured clearly unhappy.

Sasuke stared down at it, it was the seal that kept him within the walls of Konoha. It had been described to him, time and time again that if he stepped outside the barriers secretly placed around the village death would be nearly instantaneous. It wasn't just the killing of brain cells, it was the entire shut down of his brain as a whole. It was a frightening seal, something Sasuke knew that men like Orochimaru would do anything…wipe out countries to get their hands on. It should be forbidden by all accounts. "Hn…they don't need to go to those extents to keep me here," Sasuke mumbled.

"Che…I guess," Naruto said. "I'm still sorry though," Sasuke could feel the warmth of Naruto's hand spreading through his chest and his entire body, like a wind fanning the flames.

"Naruto, with or without this thing I'm not going anywhere," Sasuke said. He could hear it in Naruto's voice, he doubt that he tried so hard to hide. "I don't care about the seal, it's so trivial that you shouldn't care either," Sasuke said, his voice harder than he meant.

"I know…you've told me," Naruto said, looking up at him with his lips parted so Sasuke could see the gleam of the blonde's white teeth. He didn't hear the belief in his voice though, "When are you going to tell her?" he let out a heavy sigh.

"I dunno…maybe tomorrow, I just want to sleep and she'd probably have me doing paperwork," He said.

* * *

The next couple of weeks were a wonder, Naruto had officially dropped by The Fifth's office to announce his decision. It was being kept quiet until Naruto was in a better physical state to take over, but according to the blonde that busty woman had been ecstatic. From that point on Naruto had been kept at the tower for much of his free time. He was allowed to pick Naoyuki up, and drop him off but I wasn't until week 14 when he had started falling asleep in the middle of discussions and paperwork that Tsunade had to cut his time down. By this point Naruto had grown beyond irritable. He was still tired, and on occasion went to lay down when he began to ache, or his stomach hurt. Any consultation they had at the hospital kept telling him it was normal, and he tried to rationalize it that way. He refused to admit in any way that he was frightened of the prospect, that he felt he wasn't ready for this, or didn't deserve it. Naruto, when he wasn't snarking at anyone seemed genuinely happy. It was difficult though, balancing keeping Naruto happy at a baser level, and keeping Naoyuki from worrying too much over everything. There were reports back from Kakashi, ones that never reached their son, but that fact didn't keep Naoyuki from stressing over it.

It was safe to say that over the weeks Sasuke had seen some strange things. Naruto for one, seemed pleased to fall asleep anywhere, the strangest place in the house he had found the blonde was on the kitchen table. It was the same scene where he found Naruto after a brief grocery run. He had gone and put everything away and Naruto had been sitting on the table in his red over shirt. He was glancing out the opened door to the deck and it wasn't until Sasuke had finished putting everything away that Naruto had called him over asking him to rub his feet. Sasuke had tried telling Naruto no once before and it had ended with Naruto not talking to him for three entire days. For someone who had enjoyed his peace for seven long years, he truly hated it now. Sasuke had rounded the table quietly and before he could even think of lifting Naruto's foot he was met with the fact that underneath Naruto's red over shirt he was wearing absolutely nothing else. He was reclined on his hands with an absurd innocent expression and all it took was the shift of Naruto's leg, spreading them the slightest for Sasuke to place himself between them. He tried to ignore the sly smirk on Naruto's face, but found it so arousing that he'd rather not.

Naruto ambushed him frequently once Naoyuki had gone off to school and occasionally off to bed. Sasuke wasn't complaining even though he had an odd feeling that Naruto had some sort of hold over him.

Week 15 and Naruto began to get cramps that made him whine harder than Sasuke had ever seen him do. Even days of Kakashi's tardiness, waking up early as a child, and stabbing himself with a Kunai didn't compare. That same week Sasuke opened the door to a distinct banging, when he saw who it was he let out a heavy sigh.

"It's not here," Sasuke said flatly.

"Bullshit, and he's a he, and he has a name," Inuzuka was annoyed more than angry this time, Sasuke honestly had to wonder why this dog was so important anyway. Before he could say or think over that blasted animal a bark sounded from somewhere behind the house. With a heavy sigh Sasuke pulled the door open and stood aside for the other man to walk in.

"He followed me home I swear!" Naoyuki's voice whined out and when Sasuke made his way to the garden the boy had his arms around the large dog's neck.

"Get you and your dog out, Naruto's sleeping. I don't need your shrill voice waking him up," Sasuke muttered as he waved Naoyuki over with a down faced palm.

"I don't see why I get in trouble when Akamaru clearly just likes me," Naoyuki muttered. "Right boy?" He let out a laugh as the dog licked him. Sasuke sighed, he had just gotten Naoyuki bathed and now he had to go about it again.

"Blondie's sleeping? It's afternoon, even he should be up by now," Inuzuka muttered along with what Sasuke was positive were curse words and insults directed right at him. "Akamaru and I need to prepare for a mission, sorry to steal him so soon," the brunette seemed to lose all annoyance as he ruffled Naoyuki's hair before taking off with Akamaru.

Naoyuki was waving from his spot at the bottom of the steps, when he turned around their eyes met and the boy shrunk back. "What?"

"You need a bath," Sasuke said. A closer look at the boy showed dirt on his knees and cheek, clearly stuck there from some sort of residue and Sasuke knew it was dog slobber.

"But I bathed this morning," Naoyuki slumped.

"You ate this morning and noon as well, but I assume you're going to eat dinner, correct?" Sasuke didn't budge.

"Fine," the boy let out a heavy sigh that reminded Sasuke so much of Naruto when he pouted.

Week 15 had them in the hospital again with another check-up. Naruto seemed to be progressing without any serious complications, which is more than Sasuke could say for his own situation. He had been propositioned for a second time from Karin and it was quickly beginning to aggravate him to the point of tipping over the edge. He often didn't make light on the threats he made, but they both knew that his mistakes had larger consequences than a little blood on his hands now. Karin might have been unbearably annoying, unyielding, but she was also intelligent and very manipulative.

When they finally made their way back home Sasuke stood beside Naruto who was prepping things for dinner, bobbing around like a moron and a hum deep in his chest as he moved around the kitchen. Normally Sasuke watched amused, because it was a common occurrence, but he had his own dilemma to address. "Naruto?"

"Hm?" Naruto began to prep the small selection of vegetables he forced himself to eat.

"You have to let someone else at the hospital watch over you," there, he said it.

"What are you talking about? Karin's fine," Naruto said, stealing a bite from one of the carrots he had just finished washing. "Fact that she doesn't fuss like Sakura's only a plus," He said around his mouthful.

"That's disgusting," which only earned him Naruto's tongue on display with his half eaten carrot. "It doesn't matter, find someone else."

"The hell you're going to tell me what to do, only person better suited is the old woman and she's already too busy yelling at me to wake up during meetings," He mumbled as he turned back to cooking, keeping his eye on the clock since he had to go pick up Naoyuki from the academy soon.

"That's because you fall asleep everywhere. What's wrong with Sakura?"

"Che, I can't help it! I'm growing a person, she needs all the rest I can get. Nothing's wrong with Sakura, it's just that Karin's better suited," Naruto muttered.

"You can't possibly know the gender yet, besides that's not even the point, moron."

"What is the point then, you're being annoying, and she is too a girl," Naruto said with a frown as he took another bite from a carrot he had just finished prepping. Naruto didn't really get that there were for some reason, to Sasuke's knowledge, only brothers born into the Uchiha family.

"Karin kissed me."

Naruto was silent for a long moment before his eyes narrowed, "What a two faced…ugh! What is it with the woman of this village and trying to undermine my decisions at every turn! If it's not Sakura, it's Karin, if it isn't Karin it's going to be Ino…oh damn it, Ino…what am I going to do when she finds out? Hgnnn, Hinata's the only safe woman to be around," Naruto slumped. Sasuke just stared at him, he thought the blonde was going to blow up about the situation, how they ended up at how Neji was acting weird was far beyond his comprehension. "It's like the weirdo can't even look me in the eye," Naruto kept rambling, "I'm pretty sure that he took up that mission in Suna just so he didn't have to talk to me whenever the group would get together…that reminds me, I need to tell Gaara we probably won't be making it to Suna this summer…oh man, Naoyuki's going to be crushed," he groaned.

"Naruto?"

"What is it Sasuke?" Naruto was starting to pull out pans to start cooking.

"About the situ—"

"—Can it wait? I gotta get to the academy before they let out. Finish this for me okay?" Naruto said as he headed for the door with a heavy yawn before Sasuke could say anything. Sasuke just stared at the ingredients in front of him and cursed under his breath as he got to finishing what the moron hadn't started.

His only relief was that the next time they walked into the hospital room, Karin was nowhere near them.

Three days later and there was a knock on the door. Sasuke was often the one answering since Naruto used every chance to use 'growing a human' as an excuse. It made little difference to Sasuke though, the only thing that made him uncomfortable was the fact that he'd have to interact with others, but there were worse things. So when he opened the door and saw the Inuzuka there, for the third time he just pinched the bridge of his nose and opened the door. "Come in," He muttered.

"You could be a little more gracious, it's your spawn that keeps stealing my dog," The brunette said, his arms crossed.

"Call him spawn again, and I'll make sure you won't have any, mutt," Sasuke growled.

"Try it ass face," Inuzuka said with a snarl.

"Am I in trouble?" Naoyuki was seated on the deck with Akamaru lying on his back with his head in Naoyuki's lap. The boy was scratching at the large dog's chest.

"Maybe the dog should be in trouble, if it so willingly ends up here and squashes all the plants in the yard," Sasuke said, his arms crossed.

Naruto walked out with a yawn, he scratched at his lower back before he realized what was going on. "Mnnn, good thing Akamaru seems to like Nao so much or I'd probably never see you," Naruto said with a lazy grin.

"Did you just wake up?" their guest had an odd stare on his face.

"Mn, no…I was up earlier," Naruto muttered.

"Why haven't you been on any missions?" Inuzuka asked and he walked out to the deck and told Akamaru to sit up, which was only done with a pathetic yawn.

"The old…uh…Nana just needs me around. You know no one can charm the council like darling old me," Naruto grinned and pointed at himself with his thumb.

"Charm them into insanity, maybe," Inuzuka said and Naoyuki giggled but tried to hide it behind his hand.

"Are you here for a reason?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"None of your business, Uchiha," Inuzuka said as he nodded his head to Akamaru.

"No boy! You can't lick me or I'll have to take a bath!" Naoyuki said putting his hand in front of Akamaru's nose but hugged him a second later, coming back dusted in dog hair.

"You know, I'm starting to think I should gift you guys a pup," the brunette said as he watched the pair.

"No," was all Sasuke had to say on the matter.

"I wasn't aware that you made the decisions in this house, Uchiha," Inuzuka challenged.

"I'm not taking care of a dog, not in my mother's house," Sasuke growled but before the tension could mount Naruto stepped between them.

"Cut it out, children. Kiba, quiet your dumbass down before someone hears you!" Naruto muttered, sparing a glance at Naoyuki. "I don't need ideas or expectations in his head. Sasuke's right."

"He is?" Inuzuka's brow rose.

"It wasn't my home growing up, it deserves respect…don't you have somewhere to be?" Naruto said exasperated.

"Akamaru, we have to get home," Inuzuka said before looking at Naruto again with an odd look. "Take care of yourself," clearly not buying the story. He was gone a moment later.

Sasuke watched the blonde and when Naruto noticed he smiled and he stepped a little closer, hearing in the background a sad goodbye from Naoyuki. "Is that why you're so tidy?"

"What are you on about?" Naruto asked seemingly annoyed.

"To respect my mother's house?" the fact that it was technically his fathers didn't matter.

"Well…yeah. I mean, it was important to a bunch of people. Just because I don't have anything like that means that I can't take care of this place for you…I mean them," Naruto was ready to wave it off, but Sasuke had a tender feeling spreading through him. He ducked down only to be stopped by Naruto's hand. "I just hurled…"

Sasuke blinked and changed his aim, pressing his lips to Naruto's forehead instead, pleased to hear the laugh that bubbled in the blonde's throat. "Get off me, jerk," Naruto said with a grin.

"Yeah, that's too sweet, it's gross," Naoyuki muttered as he walked passed them with a clumsy sway.

"Che, brat," Naruto muttered, Sasuke just smiled.

At week 17 Sasuke had trouble sleeping one night. He thought of his family often, and being in the house was becoming easier, but his thoughts rarely strayed too far from his childhood. He had sat up in bed and leaned over with a heavy breath. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there before he felt Naruto's body press against his back, thighs on either side of him and hands on his torso. "You okay?" He asked quietly and Sasuke tried not to think of how he didn't deserve the gentle kiss he felt on his spine.

"Can't sleep," he said, hoping Naruto wouldn't hear what he wasn't saying. Much to his benefit, the blonde was often too tired, or too focused on everything else to even notice the way Sasuke was feeling.

"You're lying," Naruto murmured and he felt Naruto's cheek rest on his shoulder blade. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Naruto sucked in a heavy breath and Sasuke honestly thought that the other man was going to fall asleep on him. It wouldn't be completely out of character.

"Tired?" Sasuke tried to brush past it.

"Mn…probably," Naruto murmured, but his breathing didn't even out. The blonde had grown quieter in sleep during pregnancy, something he had been told probably wouldn't happen.

"Go to sleep, moron," Sasuke tried but his only answer was the gentle caress of Naruto's hand.

"Can't, my diet's out of whack, you won't let me have Ramen," Sasuke twitched when he felt Naruto's teeth pinch his skin.

"You should be thanking me," Sasuke muttered and he reached up to stop Naruto's hand but the blonde pinched his wrist, a common occurrence so much that Sasuke had a permanent bruise.

"Che, never," Naruto said and he felt lips against his back again. His heart began to race inside his chest and he felt it growing warmer as Naruto's hands slipped farther, dipping under the sleeping pants he had been forced to wear because Naoyuki often barged into the room in the middle of the night.

"Naruto, you should re—"

"—I rest all the time…just feel Sasuke," Naruto said sounding more tranquil than Sasuke had ever heard him. Sasuke quieted down and bit by bit Naruto attempted to wash the tension from his body. It wasn't until Sasuke had fully relaxed that Naruto begun to gently palm his semi hard member then took it in his hand drawing it out of his pants and stroked softly, teeth nibbling at his shoulder blade. Each movement pooled low in his belly and forced heavy breaths from his chest.

"Naruto…let me…" His breathing was rugged as the tanned hand methodically stroked him from base to tip, his thumb teasing his dripping head. Sasuke's hand moved to Naruto's arm but Naruto's voice stopped him.

"It's okay Sasuke…" He breathed soothingly. "Let me take care of you," Naruto murmured, but he seemed to wait for Sasuke to answer. He didn't realize that right away though. Swallowing audibly he nodded his head and Naruto's hand began to move a little faster, his free hand massaging his hip, against his sac. The sensation made it difficult to swallow back the groan bubbling in his throat, instead he slumped and he swore he heard Naruto murmur soft comforts to him again. It was a strange torture, and every time he tried to convince Naruto to let him take over, to please the blonde in any way he felt he wanted, the other man would wait until he conceded. Naruto's hands were expert, teasing the crown of his member, his mouth suckling gently at the juncture of his neck and shoulder and finally Sasuke couldn't take it. Letting out a low moan deep in his chest he spent himself, thrusting into Naruto's hand while his head fell back on the blonde's shoulder.

His lids fluttered when he finally began to descend, Naruto's lips were teasing gently under his ear and Sasuke snorted. He stayed that way, until his breathing matched Naruto's and the blonde had cleaned him with the wipes they kept at the side of the bed. He reached to grasp Naruto's hands and the blonde let them fall away. He turned and he slanted his lips over the other man's, but even as Sasuke attempted to coax him into something more of a challenge Naruto remained passive. "Mn, that wasn't so bad, was it? You're beautiful, everyone must be jealous of me," Naruto murmured and he leaned back.

"What about you?" he frowned choosing to ignore that comment.

"Mn…I'm flattered, but I'm too loud for anyone to be jealous," Naruto said with a lazy smile. "It's fine Sasuke, lay down. 'm tired," He patted the bed and it was only out of brief confusion that Sasuke turned on his side, facing Naruto. He could just make out the pupils of his eyes, wide in the dark.

"You're sure?"

Naruto chuckled quietly and shook his head with a smile that looked so relaxed, it was sensual in its own right. "Wasn't about me," Naruto shrugged.

"I don't deserve you," Sasuke murmured, not realizing he had said anything until Naruto shifted up onto his elbow with a confused expression.

"Is that what this is about?"

"What, exactly?"

"How you've been sulking…" Naruto was being cautious, he could see it in the forced relaxed state he kept.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke rested his head on his pillow, ready to block the conversation out.

"Sasuke…" he opened his eyes to meet Naruto's. "That's silly…" The word should have sounded weird from an adult's lips…but it was Naruto, it seemed so damned natural.

"I'm not," he protested.

"Sasuke, you deserve every chance you get to be happy," Naruto said, Sasuke was quiet, it was another wonderful lie. "No, I'm serious," Naruto said as he moved closer, the blonde's hair was swept into his face, but he was sure if they weren't, Naruto's brow would be wrinkled.

"You're tired, go to sleep."

"Sasuke…" He felt Naruto's lips on his, teasing at his bottom lip and it would have taken a much greater man than Sasuke not to lean into the calming gesture. He was caught in Naruto's orbit so effectively and it scared him. "You'll understand, I promise," He said nuzzling against Sasuke's jaw.

More lies…

"You don't see it…you don't see how much Naoyuki loves you, or how happy you've made us," Naruto's words were a whisper, and he could hear he blonde fighting back something at the back of his throat. He wondered if it was the same thing he was trying to keep at bay. They were silent for a long time, but he knew Naruto's insecurities would break through eventually. "Are we not enough to make you happy?"

"That's not it," it was the fact that they did make him happy.

"So we don't?" Naruto had pulled back.

"What? No, Naruto can we do this some other time?" Sasuke let out a heavy breath.

"When? When I'm too big to follow after you and you can walk out the door to ignore this? After I've popped? When Naoyuki's out on his own?" Naruto's voice was rising.

Sasuke grinded his teeth and he leaned forward, and even when Naruto pulled back he followed. "You're everything Naruto…the both of you. Stop making me say it…it's not good for my image," Naruto seemed to calm down and even managed a slight laugh. He forgot, he didn't know how, but he forgot how Naruto tended to overreact. It was that fact alone that kept Sasuke murmuring over affectionate things that he wasn't comfortable with. "I'm not used to anyone caring how I feel Naruto," how he truly felt. It was hard letting Naruto in so close, especially when he felt the way he did.

"You deserve it Sasuke…every moment of it. Life took it from you."

Life took it from the both of them, Sasuke could hear it in Naruto's voice.

"I could have easily done the things you've done Sasuke…I could have fallen into darkness."

Lies.

"This is everything you should have had, please…don't think you shouldn't. We might have come too late, but we're here and we don't want to be anywhere else either, except in this weird little family we have." Naruto whispered, their lips were touching as Naruto spoke. He didn't even realize that the blonde had been leaning in so close.

He caught Naruto's lips in another slow kiss, the blonde was too good to him. He thought on it a moment as Naruto responded to him in desperation. He rested his hand on the back of the other man's neck…and thought. Naruto hadn't had a family either…and now they were one, Sasuke couldn't think of anyone else who deserved this more than the blonde. Maybe he was right, life had done everything it could to drive him to madness…but he wasn't too far gone. He had made this change, and he wondered if it was enough to warrant everything he had now.

Maybe…

"Naruto," Sasuke said and after staring the other man down for a seemingly infinite moment of silence Naruto nodded. His son was alive…Sasuke was alive, the village was intact and Sasuke's want to bring it to ruin were fading. He smiled so small that Naruto would have been the only one to see it. Naruto said something else, asked him if he was okay and Sasuke nodded. It took some time but Naruto finally slept, pressed closer to Sasuke than he usually did.

Just maybe…

* * *

Sasuke started training Naoyuki after the overwhelmingly one sided discussion he had with Naruto a week prior. He wasn't allowed on training grounds by himself, but their garden had a large enough clear space that they managed. If they ever needed any more room there were other clearings on the compound.

"Can you activate it freely?" Sasuke asked.

"I think so…I mean. I guess I've never really tried," Naoyuki was sitting cross legged in the clearing. His hands rested on the ground in front of him and he seemed less than enthused to be there.

"Try," Sasuke urged. He was walking slowly back and forth, feeling a little more alive than he had in a long while. His son needed to learn, and deserved to learn from the best…which unfortunately was Sasuke. Kakashi was great, he was sure, but there was plenty he didn't know about being an Uchiha.

Naoyuki frowned and after a few moments of concentration he sighed heavily and flopped on his back. "Nope."

"Get up," Sasuke said. "Spar with me."

"What? No way, you're not just using Taijutsu anymore!" Naoyuki rolled over onto his stomach.

"This from the highest mark in your class?"

"Not that hard," Naoyuki said.

"Stand up," Sasuke tried again.

"Fine," Naoyuki rolled his eyes. "But I'm not sparring you in this," Naoyuki muttered and he stripped out of his cat coat.

"You better hope your dad doesn't wake up, or we'll both be in trouble," Sasuke's eyebrow rose.

"He doesn't wake up for anything," Naoyuki mumbled as he folded his coat and placed it out of the way before he came back and struck up a fighting stance.

"You've got that right…" Sasuke mumbled. It was just between him and himself, but having Naruto fall asleep in the middle of sex was ridiculous. "Just Taijutsu, this area's not big enough for anything else. If your dad was awake, we'd go elsewhere."

"Okay," He nodded and when he was given the go ahead they began a quick sparring routine. This time, Sasuke didn't hold back as much as he should have. He was attempting to push Naoyuki to use his Sharingan. It took some time, but after Naoyuki was well out of breath it began to flicker in his eyes, the two commas flashing in the middle of red. As quick as it came, it was gone.

"There," Sasuke said, holding his hand up to stop their sparring. Naoyuki looked at him with wide blue eyes.

"Did I really?" His hands moved to cover his eyes and when he pulled them away he had a confused look on his face. "I don't know why I did that…is it still like that?"

"No," Sasuke said before he knelt in front of the boy. "But it was there. Let's stop for today."

"What? But I just got it! That doesn't make sense!"

"There will be other days," Sasuke said, his hand on Naoyuki's shoulder.

"You just don't think I can do it…" Naoyuki said, the frown on his face didn't budge. "Come on, let's go again, I'll do it better this time!"

"What's this really about Naoyuki?" He asked with a frown, sitting down on the patch of clear grass. He urged Naoyuki to sit down as well.

"I don't know what you mean," He flopped down beside Sasuke, and he was quick to draw him close. If Naruto came out and Naoyuki had no coat on, at least he had Sasuke's arm.

"We've been practicing a long time, do you really think your dad would be happy if we kept going? I'm sure he wants dinner to be done eventually," Sasuke said. It was becoming an art, keeping the two happy.

"What's wrong with him? He's always sleeping…and he says he's okay, but it's been a long time," He frowned and he picked at a blade of grass until it snapped from the base.

"There's nothing wrong with him, would I lie to you?" He asked.

"If you don't lie…do you think I can do it? Make the Sharingan appear?" He asked.

"Of course, but it might take a little time," Sasuke said.

"But it doesn't always? Great, I suck at this…" Naoyuki muttered.

"Let me tell you something, Naoyuki. Did you know that Jutsu I showed you before? I told you that it has been passed down for generations, what I didn't tell you was…it isn't until you master that Jutsu that you're considered a man. Someone truly worthy of the Uchiha name," Sasuke said.

"Really? But, I did it!" Naoyuki was pointing to his nose with some excitement. "But…why didn't you tell me?"

"Well…I suppose it's because, once upon a time there was some kid that practiced that Jutsu until his face was burnt. I didn't want that," Sasuke said before he felt fingers poking at his face.

"Like, right here? It was you, wasn't it?" Naoyuki had a grin on his face as he pushed the skin of Sasuke's face around.

"What if it wasn't me?" Sasuke grabbed Naoyuki's wrists gently trying to urge him away.

"Right, okay…so your friend…did it. Right," Naoyuki rolled his eyes with a laugh.

"Right. Would you like to help make dinner?"

"Yes!" Naoyuki said and he quickly dragged himself to his feet.

"Grab your coat and go wash up," Sasuke said.

"Hold on, I thought we could go out for dinner," Naruto said from the doorway, a lazy smile on his face.

"Yes! I like that better," Naoyuki grasped his coat in his arms and he all but bounced into the house clumsily.

"I told you that you guys were adorable," Naruto said, leaning against one of the support beams. "Naoyuki, we're going to go visit first!"

"Okay!" Naoyuki's voice sounded from inside the house, and light thumps of his feet indicated he was running, but Naruto said nothing.

Sasuke didn't pay much attention though. He frowned and watched Naruto as he picked himself up off the ground. "Visit? I don't visit, moron," he said dusting his pants off.

"You will," Naruto said with a shrug. "I promise, you don't want to miss it. Get out of your lazy clothes, and wash up," Naruto said with a soft huff.

"The only lazy clothes in our entire closet all belong to you," Sasuke muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Sasuke ducked around the corner. He always had to be the miserable one, but it seemed pretty in tune to how he'd acted all his life, so he opted to shut up before going to dress.

On their way to wherever they were going, Naoyuki appeared to be plenty happy. His hand was interlocked with both of theirs, it was likely the closest Naruto and he had ever gotten to public displays of affection…except for when Sasuke was trying to make a point.

"I have so much to share!" Naoyuki said with a smile on his face.

"I bet, we haven't been there in a while, have we?" Naruto said with a smile.

"Hmmm, no…not since the New Year, right?" Naoyuki said thoughtfully.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke said with a frown.

"You'll see," Naruto said cutting off Naoyuki before he could answer.

Naoyuki seemed to get the hint and Sasuke suddenly began to recall what path they were on. "Naruto…where are we going?"

"I want you to meet someone…or someones," Naruto said with a frown.

"I don't want to go there," Sasuke knew exactly where they were going.

"Sasuke…I'm not going to make you do anything, but it's important to me," He said softly after letting Naoyuki walk ahead of them. "Trust me?"

Sasuke stopped and stared at the blonde, long and hard before Naoyuki yelled for them to hurry up. His jaw was tense and he felt his heart beat pick up. "I don't know," he said.

"Fine…you can wait here if you want," Naruto murmured. He pulled his over shirt around himself in the cool air and he began to walk forward. Sasuke watched his retreating back and remembered the divide between them, the one he had fought so hard to finally successfully close. He fisted his hands and heard a crack before he cursed, and followed after the pair.

"You have two minutes of my time, Naruto," He said low in his voice.

Naruto looked at him and there was a sad smile on his face. "Better hurry then," He said and before Sasuke could think to protest, Naruto's hand linked in his and he urged him forward at a fast pace.

When they entered the graveyard Naoyuki was kneeling before a headstone, chattering away like someone was in front of him talking back. He was quiet enough not to disturb anyone else, even though they were alone. "Naoyuki, why don't you go to the next one," Naruto said with a smile.

"'Kay, bye. I love you," Naoyuki said with a small bow before he stood and made his way to another section of the grave site, moving respectfully. This wasn't where he thought Naruto was taking him, in fact, he didn't know where this was.

"Come on Sasuke," Naruto said softly from where he knelt. He was hesitant but he moved, kneeling in a formal fashion before finally looking at the grave. It was designated to the fourth, and to a woman named Kushina. The woman he had learned to be Naruto's mother.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry we haven't been around in a while, and that I don't have anything," Naruto started, his hands placed on his knees and his chin was dipped downward. "Things have been crazy out there, but we're closer to solving who wants to hurt Naoyuki. It'll be over soon, but since I've only got a few moments…I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Naruto…" Sasuke said, not sure what he was feeling. Whatever it was intensified when Naruto's hand closed around his again, and both their hands were rested on Naruto's knee a second later.

"This is Sasuke, he's kind of a bastard. He's a good person though…the best," Naruto said with a small smile. "I mean, if he has the nerve to put up with me now, I think he should be rewarded. He's the one that gave me Naoyuki…and in fact, we're going to have another. I think…that after you got to know him, you might have liked him a lot. You'd probably have to yell at him a bit, but that's pretty fun too," Naruto chuckled softly.

"You…shouldn't," Sasuke said, not feeling any moisture in his mouth. He lived with Naruto, they shared the same bed, and had started to raise Naoyuki together. This, moment, it was more intimate than anything he had ever experienced. These people probably wouldn't have wanted to see him in spirit, let alone alive.

"No, it was time," Naruto said with a nod. The hand grasping his squeezed just before Naruto shifted to face him a little more. "Here," He murmured. Sasuke saw the blonde glance toward Naoyuki, who was still chattering away, completely involved in the section Sasuke knew but could hardly remember. That thought was ripped from his mind when he felt Naruto guide his hand to his stomach. It was just a moment before he realized just what was going on.

"You aren't…" Sasuke murmured, feeling the gentlest of swells where Naruto's stomach had previously been flat.

"Yeah, that's her," Naruto murmured.

"You can't know that."

"I can, and I do," Naruto said with a soft pout. "I can go get Naoyuki if you want?" He said after a moment.

"Naruto…I can't. I can't go over there" Sasuke whispered sharply. "I haven't…I can't see that, I'm not…"

"Shh, it's okay. We'll meet you by the gate," Naruto said with a sad smile.

"Go," but his hands didn't move until Naruto stood and Sasuke could no longer reach. He watched the blonde move before he turned back to the plot in front of him. His brow was furrowed and he cleared his throat. Bowing low he closed his eyes. "I apologize…for everything I've ever done. Your son is something else, you would be proud. I don't deserve him, or any blessing I could have had…but I want you to know that I will watch over him here, while you cannot. I haven't done a very good job, but know that I will die before I let anything happen to any of them," He whispered.

He sat up a moment later, clearing his throat again. He stood and he headed toward the gate quietly. He waited outside of it, and after some time Naoyuki and Naruto met him there. "Where do you want to eat?" Naruto asked.

"Anywhere but Ramen," Naoyuki muttered.

Sasuke lingered just slightly behind them as they began to bicker. He felt drained, but even so he felt a little more at peace.

* * *

"Ugh…I'm softer everywhere," Naruto muttered. Sasuke watched the blonde pace around the bedroom, in front of a full length mirror. A part of him was mildly horrified that he was watching Naruto of all people do this. The other part of him was actually kind of amused. He was clad in only a pair of boxer briefs as he walked back and forth only to pause from time to time to look at himself in the mirror. He'd slump and continue walking after a moment.

"Isn't that part of it?" Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"That's not the point! I'm positive he's probably already figured it out by now! I mean look at this," He poked at his side.

"Do you have hips?" Naruto had gained a few pounds, but according to Tsunade it was perfectly normal.

"Fuck you Sasuke. Fuck, right the fuck off," he growled, giving Sasuke a glare that reminded him distinctly of the kyuubi.

"Invitation?" Sasuke saw the change in Naruto's body though. It was hard to wrap his brain around, but he had been dealing with this for the past six weeks, so unfamiliarity was becoming normal.

"Don't touch me," Naruto said. "I'm not leaving this house, Kiba will never shut up about this."

"You know I can take care of the Inuzuka right?"

"I hardly think that my definition of take care matches yours. You leave him alone, even if he is an asshole," Naruto said before he let out an exasperated sigh while his fingers slid down his face, stretching it to comical proportions.

"You're being ridiculous."

"About as much as your hair style," Naruto growled.

Sasuke sighed, having to remind himself of how he had learned to deal with Naruto when he got difficult. He stood from the bed finally, stopping Naruto in mid step. He drew the blonde against his chest and nipped at his shoulder. "I'm going to let that go, but know that you can't put this off forever. Tell him," Sasuke said. His hands were placed over Naruto's warm stomach, it was the smallest of swells but it had Sasuke completely fascinated.

"I am going to tell him!" Naruto muttered, but stopped fighting. "You're acting weird again."

Sasuke let out a breath, he knew exactly how he was acting and was annoyed that Naruto picked up on it again. "The sooner he knows, the more time he has to prepare Naruto."

"I know that!" Naruto pinched his wrist and Sasuke couldn't hide the growl in his throat.

"You sure?"

"Get out, bastard. I'll be out there whenever the hell I please," Naruto said. Sasuke might have fought a few months ago, it was just easier to concede at this point.

He had to give credit to Naruto though. He came out no longer than 20 minutes later. Naoyuki was seated in the living room with a sketch book, lazily doodling with a couple of leaves laid out beside him. He looked between his book to the leaves every once in a while. "You ready?" Sasuke asked Naruto, low enough that the boy didn't hear.

"I'm out here aren't I?" Naruto said, crossing his arms. Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes before they both moved to the seating area.

"Naoyuki, your dad and I would like to talk to you," Sasuke started.

"But Dad! I don't have Akamaru here today! I promise," Naoyuki said. "See, I'm just making notes," He held his sketchbook up to show detailed line drawings of the leaves he had. They were a bit on the exaggerated side, but identifiable.

"This isn't about that mutt's dog," Sasuke said.

"That's not nice…Dad says you shouldn't talk about people you don't know," He frowned.

"Yeah, don't you know Sasuke?" Naruto said, challengingly.

"Not the point," Sasuke answered the challenge and was met with the slope of the blonde's shoulder.

"Naoyuki, we were just wondering how you might feel about having a baby brother or sister," Naruto started, his tone left Sasuke to wonder where the spoiled brat inside of the blonde had vanished off to.

"Brother," Sasuke muttered under his breath and felt a sharp elbow in his ribcage two seconds later. He grunted and rubbed at the tender area.

Naoyuki put his sketchbook down and looked between both of them. His eyes were evaluating, and he began to gather his things and place them off to the side. "Why?"

"Your dad asked you a question first," Sasuke said with a pointed frown.

"I dunno…" Naoyuki looked down at his lap finally and began to play with the hems of his shirt. "I mean…I guess, maybe it'd be okay," He shrugged and refused to meet their gazes.

"You think so?" Naruto his mood sounding a little better, but Sasuke wasn't entirely sure it was called for. Naruto was off center in a lot of ways, and though his perception was good one moment, the blonde was clearly oblivious the next.

"Yeah," Naoyuki shrugged.

"Naoyuki, I think you should know that you're going to be a big brother," Naruto said, with a little more confidence than he had started the discussion with.

"What?" Naoyuki's head snapped up and he looked at the both of them. "You're lying…you can't be…I mean, but…what…No."

"No?" Sasuke asked, afraid that's where this was going.

"No! It's not fair!" Naoyuki slid off the couch, taking part of the cushion with him. "I just got you Sasuke and now I have to share?" Naoyuki stomped his foot and his brow furrowed. "I don't want it!"

"Fair?" Naruto said with a frown before Naoyuki had finished everything. Sasuke reached to grasp Naruto's hand.

"Naoyuki, stop it," He said in a firm tone.

"No! You never ask me about these things! Why does this keep happening when you just…do things without thinking about me!" Naoyuki's voice was rising.

"You're acting like a child," Sasuke tried again, he could feel Naruto's hand gripping tightly at his.

"I am a child! I'm yours, not that you were here!"

"Naoyuki, we've moved past this. It had nothing to do with him," Naruto said, but there was no edge in his voice. Sasuke could only imagine if he felt as if he had been burned, Naruto must have been completely scalded.

"Of course not! It had to do with you, and you being selfish and never thinking about me!" the boy had begun to cry.

"If you don't lower your voice and apologize right now, you're going to be in serious trouble," Sasuke said, growing angrier by the second.

"Tell that to your new kid!" Naoyuki yelled and he made toward the room.

"This discussion isn't finished," Sasuke made to stand, but Naruto's hand didn't let him go.

"No…let him cool down," Naruto said softly. He was staring at the spot where Naoyuki had been seated.

"He's going to make those accusations ten times worse in his head if we wait," Sasuke said trying to urge Naruto to stand.

"He's just going to yell even more, and he's already where you're going to send him when he doesn't cooperate," Sasuke frowned and took that moment to really look at Naruto. His eyes were hidden under his bangs and the hand still grasped in his hadn't stilled. He thought on it a moment and nodded, Sasuke would lose his temper even more than this.

"Come here," Sasuke said and Naruto shook his head.

"No, he's right…I've been selfish. I don't think these things through, I am a moron," Naruto said.

Sasuke let out a heavy breath, "You probably think about it more than is healthy. You can't control how he'll act," he couldn't believe he was being the voice of reason. Naruto had said they had moved past things, they had forgiven all their stupidity. He urged Naruto closer and wrapped him in an embrace that he had become familiar with over the past few weeks, it was uncomfortable, but it was getting easier.

Naruto leaned his head on Sasuke's chest and he sniffled just a little. "I don't know what to do if he doesn't…"

"He will," he said. "They'll argue…but he'll love him more than he can realize and won't believe he could have ever said anything like that. He loves you too, he'll come around," Sasuke offered. He knew how much he had cared for Itachi, and how much his brother had continued to care for him after Sasuke had given in to madness.

"You think so?" Naruto murmured.

"Yeah," Sasuke's hand had made it to Naruto's stomach again, and he was pleased when Naruto didn't pinch him.

"Che' and I think you meant her, because it's a girl," Naruto said, poking at Sasuke's side.

"Of course that's what I meant," Sasuke rolled his eyes, but he smiled all the same.

They gave Naoyuki an hour before Naruto gave Sasuke the go ahead to go check on him. He knocked on the door quietly, "Naoyuki, can we talk?" he tried. When he received no answer he frowned and opened the door without permission. He was met with an empty door and a window that was wide open. "Naruto…he skipped phase one, and the first two steps of phase two." He called over his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked as he walked out of the bedroom.

"I mean, he's being unpredictable…he's snuck out his window," Sasuke was angry, but it stemmed from worry.

"What? That's impossible," Naruto said, and a few short steps he was peering into the room. "Damn it! Sasuke, we have to get out there, what if he's heading toward the gates! What if he's long past them!"

"No, Naruto we have to find someone else to get out there. You're going to stay here in case he gets back, I'll check around the compound and find someone to look elsewhere," he said, rationalizing. His limit to the compound was seriously starting to become a pain in his ass.

"I can't just stay here!"

"You can, and you are. Don't you dare fight me on this," Sasuke said with a glare as he urged Naruto to sit. "I'll be back," He had quickly moved to the front door and after slipping on a pair of sandals he was sure belonged to Naruto he opened the door. He was about to step out when he realized someone was in his way with their arm up about to knock. "What do you want? I have no time for your bullshit, get out of here before I murder you," Sasuke growled.

"No, you do have time for my bullshit, Uchiha," Nara said, crossing his arms. "I imagine that you're about to go and waste all your energy on a search party, when all you have to do is come and retrieve Naoyuki from my house."

"Why the hell would he have gone to you of all people?" Sasuke hissed, but underneath his animosity he was feeling relief.

"Are you going to waste your time asking troublesome questions, or are you going to going to get Naruto so he can come and get him? He won't listen to me, and I'm not going to physically remove him," the brunette said.

"Sasuke, who the hell are you talking t—…" Sasuke heard the blonde pause just behind him. "—Shikamaru, what are you doing here?"

"Naoyuki's with my mother," he offered.

"Oh, thank you," Naruto let out a heavy breath and clutched at his chest. "Take me to him," Naruto said, going to walk by Sasuke but the raven held his arm out.

"You're not going anywhere with him," Sasuke growled, not taking his eyes off of Nara who just seemed to look more bored.

"You're going to keep him from his son, just because you don't like me? Seems like any alternative would be a lot of extra work."

"Our son, as in mine, not yours and like is a weak word, Nara," Sasuke said.

"Shut up Sasuke," Naruto growled and shoved his arm out of the way. "Unless you're coming with, get back inside. I don't need your rage to freak him out when we get there," Naruto said. There was something in that last sentence that stayed Sasuke, even though he hated Nara more than he thought possible he couldn't do his son that disservice.

* * *

Shikamaru had been sitting calmly in his seating area, reading through his plans for an upcoming mission when he heard one of his windows open. He frowned and looked over his shoulder, he stood and quickly formed a few seals before sending his shadows out to work.

"Don't! It's just me!" Shikamaru hadn't expected that. The footsteps had seemed light, but he had been operating on the fact that there was an unannounced guest in his house. It was an oversight he wouldn't allow himself a second time.

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked with a frown as he saw the boy, standing in front of the window. His clothes were wrinkled and there were tear stains drying on his cheeks.

"Because they don't want me!" Naoyuki said and he quickly ran forward and he felt Naoyuki's arms wrap around him. His brow furrowed and he rested his hand on the boy's head. He cared deeply for the boy, and didn't like to see him distressed, but this scenario was confusing.

"Who doesn't want you?" Shikamaru had a good idea, but he'd rather have facts over assumptions.

"My dad and Sasuke," he muttered. Shikamaru let out a breath and he reached for the boy's wrists and urged them looser.

"Come sit down, will you tell me what's going on?" He asked calmly. He knew that giving Naoyuki an invitation was easier than demanding anything out of him when he was angry.

"'Kay," Naoyuki said and he moved to sit down. Shikamaru saw the boy prod at the plant he had bought him when Shikamaru ended up in the hospital thanks to Sasuke. He pushed it to the back of his mind and he went to the kitchen and went through the process of making tea.

"Whenever you're ready," He said and sat down while he waited for the water to heat.

"They're replacing me…they're getting another kid and they're going to forget about me!" Naoyuki seemed frantic still.

"Is that so?" Shikamaru's brows lifted, and there was an ache in his chest he was positive he had no right feeling. "I hardly think that's called replacing you," Shikamaru said. "Why do you think that?"

"Why not? It's going to be small, and adorable and they're going to pay all their attention to it. Shin says the same thing about when Aunty Sakura had a baby. It's supposed to just be me and dad in this together, then it was me, dad, and Sasuke…now there's some baby? They're not going to have time for me…"

"That's not how it works Naoyuki," Shikamaru said calmly. He didn't want to deal with this, this was the absolute last thing on the planet that he wanted to face. He owed it to Naoyuki though, because he and Naruto separated. He didn't break up with Naruto's son, especially not after all these years.

"That's what Shin says…" Naoyuki's voice was small. Shikamaru tipped his head and he stood again and after pouring the water into the cups he had laid out prior, he brought one over to Naoyuki.

"It's hot," He said before he found his seat again, simply holding the small cup in his hands. "Shin isn't seeing everything. Sakura and Lee don't love him any less than they did before, babies simply need more help than you and Shin might. I promise you that both of your parents are going to be sick with worry when they notice you've left," Shikamaru said.

"But you haven't told on me yet…so you can't think it's all true," Naoyuki looked down at his cup quietly.

"We should go back to your house together, not just me by myself to inform your dad," Shikamaru took a sip.

"No. I'm not leaving! They can have the baby, I'll stay here…you want me right?" Naoyuki asked.

"Naoyuki, you can't stay here. You are free to visit any time, with permission, but your parents need you more than anyone else, and you need them," Shikamaru tried to reason.

"They'll have someone else to need…even if you are right, it's not fair that the baby gets all this time with Sasuke. I never got to know him growing up, and the baby will have all sorts of memories,"

Shikamaru cracked a knuckle as he thought of the best way to put everything. "Naoyuki, it's unfortunate that Sasuke hasn't always been here. It doesn't change the fact that he's at your home, probably eating himself alive with worry because he doesn't know where you are. As it stands now, Naoyuki, you have spent over a hundred times more time with Sasuke than your dad has ever spent with his own parents. You shouldn't be worried over the time you've lost, but the time you still have. Now, will you please allow me to escort you back home?"

"I want them to tell me…" Naoyuki said quietly, looking down at his cup still. He took a drink a few moments later. "I know…I know that I'm luckier, but I want to hear them say it."

Shikamaru cracked another knuckle before he nodded. "One moment, I'll find someone to watch you and I'll bring your dad here. Sound good?" he asked.

"I guess," Naoyuki murmured. "Is that Uncle Neji's shirt?" Naoyuki pointed to the folded up cloth on the other chair. "It looks like it."

"No, it isn't," he lied before quickly exiting.

That had been the scene that found Shikamaru walking toward his house with Naruto. His hands were stuffed in his pocket. Awkwardness and feeling uncomfortable was too much work. At least, that was what he was attempting to convince himself of.

"Thank you…for taking care of him for me," Naruto said after they had gotten well out of earshot of the house. "And not being childish, I know Sasuke can be hard to handle," Shikamaru didn't like how soothing Naruto's voice was trying to be.

"No thanks needed, I would do it again in a second."

"Even though he's so much work?" Naruto asked.

"Doesn't matter how much work he is or isn't," Shikamaru shrugged. They fell into another awkward silence.

"So…rumors about you and Neji true?" Naruto asked. Shikamaru almost smiled, because it was just like Naruto to be tactless.

"I wouldn't be involved with Neji under any circumstances," he said.

"You're lying!" Naruto's finger was pointed in his face almost immediately. "I can see it, you are absolutely 100% lying to me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shikamaru said, tense. Naruto had confessed he could tell when he was lying, Shikamaru hadn't believed it…until now.

"Oh, I think you do! So are you two dating? Is that why he's been acting so weird around me?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not dating anyone," Shikamaru grumbled. This conversation was easily in the top ten worst things Shikamaru had ever experienced.

"Oh…thinking about it?" Naruto pried. Shikamaru did roll his eyes.

"I already said I wouldn't consider dating him under any circumstances. He's far too manipulative, besides I'm not attracted to him."

"You're lying again…" Naruto said with a frown. "Besides, that doesn't sound like Neji at all."

"You weren't there," Shikamaru didn't want to tell Naruto just what Neji had been doing while they had been together. He most definitely didn't want to admit what he had done while piss ass drunk. No way would the fact that he had already woken up in bed with Neji once come up, because he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Maybe not, but Neji's changed…I just don't think whatever happened was what you thought. No, now, I know you're super crazy smart and everything, but maybe you're too close to the…painting or whatever," Naruto shrugged.

"So, you're having a baby?" Shikamaru said.

"Oh, he told you…" Naruto immediately withdrew, and the fact that Naruto had taken the bait to change the subject, Shikamaru didn't feel any better.

"Yeah, he did. I take it you just told him?"

"Yeah…figured, better do it before he figures it out on his own. I wasn't expecting that though," Naruto said softly.

"I don't think anyone would have," Shikamaru said, Naoyuki acted out, but it was usually superficial. "So, how far along are you?"

"Uh, about…20 weeks now," Naruto said softly.

Shikamaru blinked before he stopped and looked at Naruto, and for the first time since he they had split up he really looked at him. "20 weeks, that means…either you're bad at math, or…"

"Uh…yeah. I miscarried, but only one of the two I was carrying," Naruto shuffled uncomfortably.

"It's Sasuke's," Naruto would have told him immediately if it wasn't.

"Yeah, it is," He said. "You know, it's none of my business what you get up to, but we're friends?"

"We are," Shikamaru confirmed.

"Good, we're friends. I know you don't do anything without knowing everything first, but maybe you should rethink over whatever Neji did. Even for just a moment," Naruto shrugged. "Because he doesn't really do things unless he really believes in them."

Shikamaru frowned as he thought it over. He hadn't ever given Neji any chance to explain himself in midst of his hurt. In fact, he had just pushed Neji out the door and hadn't acknowledged him since. He kind of disliked it when Naruto's perception outwitted his logic, or in this case, lack of it. "Congratulations, Naruto. I'm happy for you," he really was.

"Thanks," Naruto said as they got to his front step.

"Do you know what it is? They should be able to tell by now," Shikamaru said, not really remembering why he knew that.

"It's a girl, I don't care what Sasuke thinks," Naruto muttered before Shikamaru opened the door.

"You mean you don't know?" Naruto just shrugged.

"Just…think it over? The Neji thing?" Naruto asked, Shikamaru hadn't had this much trouble diverting Naruto's attention before.

"Yeah, I'll think about it," Shikamaru endured an awkward hug before Naruto made his way inside.

"Naruto, it's been so long since I've seen you," Shikamaru heard his mother say. He shoved his hands in his pockets and he walked over to the shirt Naoyuki had pointed out. He let out a heavy sigh and thought to himself while trying not to listen as Naruto eventually convinced Naoyuki that being a big brother was important.

He figured that maybe Neji might need his shirt back.

* * *

"We're back," Naruto said, letting Naoyuki's hand go. They had a long discussion on how things were going to change around the house, but the way Naruto and Sasuke felt about their son never would. It had taken some time and it eventually had gotten to the point where Naoyuki simply demanded he wanted to hear Sasuke say the same things. He agreed, because it got Naoyuki home. "Sasuke?"

"What's wrong?" Naoyuki asked, ignoring his anger for just a moment when Sasuke didn't respond.

"I'm sure nothing is wrong, baby," He pet through Naoyuki's hair and when they rounded the corner Sasuke was seated at the dining table, looking serious.

"Dad?" Naoyuki asked.

"Naoyuki, go get ready for bed," Naruto said softly. "Your dad will be in soon okay? I promise," He knelt down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Since you promised…" Naoyuki said and he went down the hall, taking a brief moment to look at Sasuke.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he approached the other man.

"They caught him," Sasuke said, a look of pure anger on his face. Naruto knew exactly who they caught.

"When?"

"They told me just after you left," Sasuke looked ready to kill.

"You, go talk with your son. I have business to take care of," Naruto said.

"You're not going by yourself," Sasuke said.

"They won't let you in. Your son needs you right now, you might want to choose wisely," Naruto said. Sasuke didn't have to think it over, he nodded and he stood to go down the hall.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Sasuke said firmly.

"I won't do anything, yet," Naruto knew his condition. It wouldn't save the man a few months down the line though.

**TBC…**

Sorry it took so long. I've written about 4 essays in the past two weeks, and finished a oneshot I started ages ago. All of it kind of threw me off my game, I had to find my way back into the fic. I wasn't going to attempt to write it when the flow was off, so this took a rewrite or two.

I hope you enjoyed though, and I'd love it if you'd let me know what you thought~

Thanks for being patient, and see you next time.

KoriC


	13. Chapter 12

**Warnings: **Angst, Language, Mpreg, Yaoi/Slash

**Disclaimer_:_**I don't own, unfortunately. I also don't profit from writing this.

Chapter 12

Naruto was furious beyond compare. He didn't even know where to begin calming himself down on the walk from his house to Hokage tower. He should be happy the man was caught, and somewhere and somehow he was, but he had this odd want for bloodshed. It wasn't like him, it was so foreign that it was unsettling. He pushed passed the guards, he didn't care of their protests and one angry look from him had them backing off anyhow.

"Where is he being held?" Naruto said as he stepped inside, keeping his voice level.

Tsunade was seated at her desk over a stack of paperwork. "Are you going to murder him the second I let you in there?" She asked.

"Depends on how well he behaves," Naruto growled.

"I'm not letting you in there if you're going to be hostile. I will order you to bed rest in medical care if I have to," She said with a frown. Naruto watched the expression over her face, he knew the threat was real just as much as he knew that she wanted to sink her fist into the bastard's face as well.

"I'm not hostile," Naruto said. "Fucking livid, but not hostile," he clarified.

She watched him for a long time. "How have you been eating?"

He rolled his eyes, "Sasuke's a big old mom, he won't let me eat anything bad, happy?" He muttered. "If I promise not to kill him, will you let me in? I want to know what the hell he was thinking going after my son like that."

"Can't you come back tomorrow once you've slept on your rage? This anger isn't good for you," She said.

"The only thing stopping you from tearing his head off is the council. You're going to let me in there," Naruto said with a frown.

"Ten minutes, and then I'm coming in for you myself," She said while she stamped something and handed it over to him. It was a slip granting him entrance to the holding cell.

"Ten minutes, got it," He said.

He made his way over trying to calm himself down. He didn't know what he was going to do when he saw the man. His fists were flexing even as he showed the sealed letter and stepped inside the cell. The man was kneeling with seals visible. He was hunched over but when Naruto came in his large but half lidded black eyes looked up to meet his. He had noticeable dark circles under his eyes and his hair was swept to one side. "More questions, the people in this village sure enjoy talking," he said flippantly.

Naruto's expression didn't change as he looked over the man. His lack of scars made him aware that the prisoner probably hadn't been acquainted with Ibiki. He might have to change that. "Why were you after my son?"

"Your son? Well, this is new," His face tipped to the side and his lips quirked in an unusually wide smirk that set the proportions of his face off.

"Yes, now tell me why," Naruto shifted his weight trying to ignore the slight ache in his spine.

"Power, why else?"

"There's another Uchiha in this village. I know you know this, I saw you interact directly with him. Why not him?" Sasuke had told him one of them had gotten away and that two had died. Since Naruto recognized this man, it was obvious who this was.

"Hm, no…I choose life rather than fight face to face with Uchiha Sasuke. Especially since sources proved to be wrong about his chakra limitations. Those informants have all been taken care of," He said smirk not wavering.

"You killed them?"

"No one will be finding them any time soon," the man said.

"Are there more of you out there?" Naruto asked.

"I suppose," he shrugged.

"Why do you need power?" Naruto said.

"Oh, now that's a stupid question."

"Enlighten me," Naruto said through his teeth.

"You villages are all the same. You're so frightened of anyone being different, that you run out potential threats. We've all been run from our homes, if we could bring something valuable back, surely we'd be allowed back in," He said.

"You weren't ordered to do this then?"

"Hmmm, no. I guess we weren't," He said wiggling a nail in between two of his teeth absent mindedly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked.

"Hmm, I dunno. He's your brat and all, I guess I don't see the point in fighting the great Uzumaki Naruto…who is nothing like I thought he'd be," he said.

"Let me tell you something. You fought so hard to get back into a hidden village? Congratulations, you'll be in this one until you die."

"How long will that be?" There seemed to be a hint of fear in his voice. Maybe it was just Naruto fantasizing.

He leaned toward the bars, wrapping one hand around it and leaning his shoulder on it he ducked his head and said through his teeth, "That depends on who can stay my hand," he didn't care if the man was being cooperative or not.

"You're much nicer in the stories," He said.

"Whoever told you them probably never threatened my son," Naruto said flippantly as he turned and exited. It was the briefest trip back to Hokage tower, he knew the only reason she was even there so late was because the man had finally been brought in.

"Is he still breathing?" She asked once he stepped in, without looking up.

"For now," Naruto said.

"Did you find anything out?"

"Some things, I want Ibiki on him for the rest," He said and he watched her expression. She looked up at him, with a lifted brow and a twitch in her coloured lips.

"Tell me what you know, and I'll think about it," so he did. He told her everything, and when he mentioned not knowing whether there were others out there, or whether he was the leader behind it all, she agreed.

"Now get home, I'm serious I will confine you to bed rest brat," She said with a growl.

"Yeah, yeah, bed rest, jail time, you've threatened me before," He waved his hand but he was genuinely thankful.

* * *

When Sasuke walked into the bedroom it was with conflicting emotions. He was incredibly angry for several reasons. He wanted to rip the hide off of the man they had caught, he was upset that Naoyuki had decided to run away, and to Nara no less. He was also angry that Naruto had just left him here, but he was relieved that Naoyuki was, in fact, okay.

Naoyuki looked up when the door sounded, he was ready for bed and under the covers. He looked back down to his lap and started picking at the threads in the quilt. "I'm disappointed in your behaviour tonight, Naoyuki," Sasuke said calmly. He walked in and sat down at the foot of the bed. Naoyuki didn't meet his eyes again for a while.

"Yeah, well I'm not perfect," He muttered quietly.

"Why do you insist on hurting your dad like that? He makes excuses for you, but I won't," Sasuke said.

"I dunno…it just kind of comes out," he said, tearing at one of the seams.

"You don't need to wreck your blanket just because you behaved like a spoiled brat," Sasuke said.

"I'm not a brat!" He said, with a growl, his fingers fisting in the blanket instead.

"Respectable people don't actively try to hurt others. Have you apologized?"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" He asked, his brow furrowed now, fists clenching tighter. Sasuke let out a heavy breath, he figured that Naruto probably always took a gentle approach.

"Why were you being so mean to your dad?"

"I was scared okay!?" He said and he turned, taking the covers with him to cover over his head.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke didn't understand.

"He was acting all weird all the time, you wouldn't tell me what was going on! I thought he might be sick, and maybe you were trying to keep it a secret and then…then it was just…this," He murmured.

Sasuke watched Naoyuki for a long time. That thought had never crossed his mind. He grimaced and he reached forward to put his hand on the boy's ankle. "Naoyuki, he just wanted to make sure you were okay. When he found out, you were going through a hard time. It was never our intent to scare you. Your dad's going to be going through a few rough months. I would like to think you could be more respectful, don't you?"

"I guess," He said, but his voice was muffled under the covers.

Sasuke watched the lump that was his son and he let out a breath. He tried not to let his mind drift back to the fact that not only was his son's former kidnapper within these walls, but his very pregnant…whatever label people chose to put on these relationships, was probably no more than five steps away from this person. He tried to think of what Naruto might do if he were home, and he could picture the blonde climbing onto the bed to hug the boy. Sasuke shook his head, "Come here," he said in a quiet tone that probably would have sounded more nurturing on a grapefruit.

"Why?" Naoyuki didn't move, at least not at first. There was a long silence between the two of them before the covers were pushed off and Naoyuki crawled in front of Sasuke.

Placing his hands firmly on the boy's shoulders he looked at him eye to eye, "I'm not going anywhere, regardless of the fact that you will have a baby brother at the end of this, I can only love you more. Understand?"

Naoyuki fidgeted a little and he glanced off to the side, "Or sister, right?"

Sasuke's teeth clicked when he heard the words, "Yeah, and it'll be part of your job to keep them safe."

Naoyuki finally met his eyes and their gazes stayed locked for a long moment. He could tell the boy was thinking it over, what it meant to be a big brother. "Yeah…I kind of hope it's a boy. Even the girls at the academy don't like to get dirty. Kind of dumb, since being a Ninja is super messy. At least a brother would be fun."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," Sasuke said, even though there was still no doubt in his mind that he'd have another son.

Naoyuki's eyes didn't leave his face. They were wide, bright, and piercing. As the minutes seemingly went by Sasuke grew a little uncomfortable, it felt almost like Naruto when he knew something was wrong, like Kakashi, and all the people he knew that saw entirely too much. "I'm sorry I ran away…especially when you're so scared about dad."

Sasuke frowned but he nodded stiffly. "Careful maybe," He clarified, not scared.

"If you say so," Naoyuki said as he leaned back on the bed, resting on both his arms.

"I think it's time to go to sleep now," Sasuke said, clearing his throat before making to stand up.

"Night dad," Naoyuki said and he crawled back under his covers.

Sasuke didn't say anything more, he simply nodded and looked over his shoulder briefly once he was at the door. Naoyuki's eyes were closed and the covers were drawn up around his shoulder. He flicked the light off with a heavy breath and made his way to the living area. Scared might have been a good word for what he felt, one of these days he'd have to admit how many things frightened him. For now, Uchiha weren't cowards.

When Naruto finally arrived home, Sasuke could tell just how angry he felt. He was moving at a fast pace and he would huff every now and then as he moved through the house. He huffed as he took off his shoes, put away his over shirt, and even as he went and splashed his face with cold water.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Sasuke asked finally, while Naruto stood in their bedroom staring at the closet where all his clothes were.

"I'll get to it when I feel like it," Naruto said. Sasuke mentally grimaced. He had hoped that maybe the situation would have been serious enough that the fluctuations in Naruto's mood and behaviour would have been negated.

"He's still alive right?" Sasuke had told Naruto not to do anything he wouldn't. It really wasn't much of a guideline, he probably would have no qualms with shoving the tip of his blade through the man's throat.

"I don't know for how long," Naruto muttered. "He's being turned over to Ibiki.

Ibiki…Sasuke vaguely remembered the name, but he couldn't place it. "I see…"

"Yeah, he told me enough…because of who I am…because I'm his dad. I don't know if it's everything, so hopefully further interrogation will solidify what he told me," He let out a heavy breath.

Interrogation meant that Ibiki was that man with the scarred features from their exams, probably. "And how about you? What are you feeling?" Sasuke could see how upset Naruto was, it was more than anger but he wasn't exactly sure how.

"Me? I don't know. How do you feel when you sitting in front of the person…who very nearly succeeded in taking everything from you? Who would do it again if given the chance?"

Naruto probably didn't hear what he was saying. Sasuke swallowed thickly, "Probably angry, hateful, and vengeful…with a burning need to have your answers questioned. Probably so angry that you'd rip him to pieces, and feel like you'd do anything until there was no trace of him left…it probably hurts a lot," Sasuke said.

Naruto looked up, and his eyes softened before he hung his head. With fisted fingers he rubbed at his eyes and sniffed slightly before clearing his throat. "Yeah…that's…that's how it feels, isn't it?" He asked. Sasuke knew the blonde had heard it, that this was the way he had always felt.

"Probably…" he said.

He probably should have been the one to move first, the one to comfort the other man who was having such an unusual flux of emotions. He wasn't though. Naruto had stood and was pressed against him, his forehead resting on Sasuke's shoulder. He was convinced he could feel the swell between them, even though it wasn't apparent unless Naruto was bare. "We were lucky."

Sasuke's hands found Naruto's shoulders and he sucked in a slow breath. They had been, their son was safe. "We were," he didn't know what he would have done if they had lost everything, again, thanks to those people.

Naruto was quiet for a long time before Sasuke realized that the blonde was in fact crying. It wasn't entirely an uncommon sight, but it was probably the first time in the past while that it was really warranted. "I understand…" Naruto murmured.

Sasuke swallowed thickly again before he rested one hand to the nape of Naruto's neck and let his thumb caress it gently. He knew…he knew the blonde understood what it felt like to want revenge, to look at someone with complete hatred. He knew that on some level, Naruto understood what he felt the night he had found his family. He knew that Naruto had understood for a lot longer than this too. He heard it in the way Naruto spoke of his late mentor, and the things he could piece together of the man who had taken the Sannin's life, the way he spoke of the war. Most importantly, he knew that Naruto was struggling with these emotions. It wasn't Naruto to be vengeful, it wasn't him to be as cruel as he likely wanted to be right this moment. "I know…" he murmured and he could feel a shudder through the other man.

"They wanted power…" Naruto murmured and Sasuke had to fight not to flinch. They were similar in so many ways. They understood each other in aspects that no one should have to…but Power, the power to destroy was never something Naruto wanted, unlike himself. "They wanted to return home."

Sasuke did flinch that time, "They're foolish…" he said quietly. He didn't want to look at Naruto, he didn't want to because he didn't want Naruto to see in Sasuke, what he saw in the prisoner. Naruto pulled back and let out a shaky breath.

"How's Naoyuki?" He asked.

"He's asleep, I think he'll come around, if he hasn't already. You must be tired," Sasuke said softly.

Naruto nodded quietly and breathed in heavily through his nose. "Maybe," he didn't move though, and Sasuke didn't urge him for a lengthy period of silence. "You smell good, and I have a headache…" Naruto said randomly as he drew back. He let out a heavy sigh before he moved toward the closet to change his clothes and prepared himself to sleep.

It wasn't long before the both of them were lying in bed. Naruto had taken to sleeping on his side. He watched the blonde for a moment and was going to close his eyes for the night when Naruto's eyes fluttered open, semi-shocked. "What is it?" Sasuke asked with a frown. Naruto was quiet and it didn't settle his mind any.

"No…it's nothing," Naruto said with a small smile on his face as he slowly sunk back down onto the pillow. "I promise," the brief words left Sasuke puzzled.

"But you can't tell me?" Sasuke said with a frown.

"Damn it Sasuke, I'm trying to sleep!" he growled and shifted until he was facing the other way.

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and watched Naruto's back. He let out a heavy breath and he shifted his weight, letting it go for the moment. It had been a difficult night, and he didn't want to be more trouble than he was worth. He slung his arm over Naruto's side, his hand resting on the blonde's stomach and just as he was about to settle down for real, Naruto whined.

"Sasuke, I just want to sleep and you're a million degrees," there was a slight tremor in Naruto's voice that had Sasuke pulling back before he could even think. Making Naruto cry for stupid reasons was not his idea of a good night sleep.

"Fine…" Sasuke said, Uchiha weren't needy after all. So he settled before he knew it, Naruto was breathing evenly. The question of what Naruto had been so surprised about kept him from falling to sleep quickly, but it eventually happened.

He was awoken the next morning when he heard the door open, a quick peek through his lashes confirmed that it was Naoyuki quietly sneaking in. He inched toward Sasuke's half of the bed before he knelt against the edge. "Dad…" he whispered softly before he reached up and pulled at the corner of Sasuke's lip into a faux smile.

"I'm up," Sasuke muttered and he gently pushed Naoyuki's hand away.

"I need help," He said. Sasuke noticed he was fidgeting a bit, but rather than comment on it he let out a drowsy breath before he moved to sit up.

"What do you need?"

"Not here…" Naoyuki murmured and his eyes landed on Naruto who was still deep in sleep. Sasuke had no doubt that Naruto would have remained sleeping, but he conceded and he stood.

"Fine, I'll meet you in the living area, give me a moment," He muttered.

"Okay," Naoyuki nodded and left the room, giving Sasuke the time to get dressed before he made his way out.

"Okay, what do you need help with?" Sasuke said when he padded lightly down the hall and into the living area. Naoyuki was more or less dressed and fidgeting with his clothes. "Stop playing with your sleeves," Sasuke said once he had taken note of it.

"I'm not allowed to make things in the kitchen…and I want to make dad breakfast. Like…not cereal," He said before dropping his arms to his sides, not used to being scolded for small things.

Sasuke rubbed at his eyes and he made his way toward the kitchen, only hoping that when it was done that Naruto wouldn't kill them both for waking him up. "Okay, what do you want to make?" Sasuke asked.

"Dad likes pancakes…" Naoyuki said, following after Sasuke. There was a shuffle of noise as he pushed a chair so he could get a better look over the counter than he already had.

Sasuke thought over the prospect before thinking back to the difficult night before. He guessed it wasn't absolutely outside of the food Naruto was allowed to eat, so he nodded. "Walk me through this, because I've never made a pancake in my life," Sasuke admitted tiredly.

"Okay!" Naoyuki said before slipping off the chair and he began to gather everything that they needed. When everything was gathered, Sasuke just knew that they weren't getting out of the kitchen without a mess.

* * *

Naruto felt the bed move, and that was what started to bring him back into consciousness. He let out a soft hum and he shifted on his side. He was perfectly ready to fall back into a deeper sleep when the bed moved again. "Damn it Sasuke, flop like a fish somewhere else," He mumbled and tried to swat at Sasuke, only to find that his usual spot was cold. He frowned and his eyes fluttered open to find Naoyuki sitting at the foot of the bed, Sasuke was standing behind him with a tray with something that smelt familiarly good.

"We made these for you, dad," Naoyuki said as he crawled a little closer.

Naruto's eyes widened and he moved to sit up. "Are those pancakes?" He asked, not caring if he sounded like a child.

Sasuke placed the tray down with a heavy snort, "I'm going to shower," was all he said before he made his way out of the door.

"Are they okay?" Naoyuki asked, he was now leaning against the headboard, looking up at Naruto.

"Of course, why wouldn't they be kiddo?" Naruto said with a smile, just happy that Naoyuki was here sitting with him after his tantrum the day before.

Naoyuki grew quiet though before he leaned forward, resting his forehead on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry…" his voice was quiet and he didn't move for some time. Naruto was instantly reminded of the way that Sasuke chose to apologize to him time and time again. He was always sullen. "I'm not sad or anything about having a baby brother or sister. I didn't mean it," he said like it was a promise.

Naruto looked down at the head of raven hair before looking down at his plate. "These sure look good, Naoyuki. You must be hungry too, share with me," Naruto said with a smile as he cubed them and held one up for Naoyuki.

The boy stared at it and his neck flushed red, "Dad…" he moved to take the fork and he ate a piece.

"Good hmm?" Naruto said before taking a piece for himself. There was a smile on his face as he looked out the window for a moment. "I get it Naoyuki, it's going to be different, and maybe a little scary…but it's good," he said with a smile as he leaned back, and took turns sharing with Naoyuki.

"How is scary, good?" Naoyuki asked before he effectively burrowed under Naruto's arm like he used to do when he was a couple years younger.

"Well…I remember I was a little scared when I was about to have you. I didn't know how things were going to go, or if…well, I knew that I loved you. It was all that mattered. I would never change that," He leaned down, it was a little awkward but he managed to press his lips to the top of Naoyuki's head.

"Really?" Naoyuki rubbed the back of his neck before he leaned more heavily into Naruto. Truth be told, he hadn't known if he'd be good enough to raise Naoyuki, but he wanted to try and be good enough. He could only hope that it was working, even though he had made some mistakes.

"Yeah. It might not be just the two of us anymore, now you have Sasuke and soon a brother or sister. Is that really a bad thing?"

"No…I just. I'm glad you're not sick or anything," Naoyuki was fidgeting again and it wasn't until Naruto waved another piece of pancake in front of his face that he snapped out of his daze.

"You're going to be a wonderful big brother," Naruto said as he offered Naoyuki the last bite.

"You think so?" Naoyuki chewed on it slowly before he relaxed completely against Naruto's side. "Are you scared this time?"

"Maybe…just a bit," Naruto said as he moved the tray off to the side and pulled Naoyuki close until they were both comfortable. "But I'm happy too. Now, you should go get ready for school okay?"

Naoyuki nodded and he crawled off the bed carefully and dashed down the hallway. Naruto didn't really have the energy to tell him not to, so instead he worked on trying to find the will to get out of bed. It wasn't until he felt a flutter that he paused and he breathed in deeply. His hand moved to his stomach and a stupid grin stretched across his face before he decided he had more than enough energy to stand. He recognized it, it was faint, but he was positive she was moving. Maybe, hopefully, the movements would be strong enough for others to feel soon.

"What's the smile about?" Sasuke asked as he stepped inside the bedroom already dressed, towelling his hair.

"Hmm? Oh…it's just a good morning," Naruto said as he stretched gently, forgetting about the mild headache he had woken up with. Sasuke stared at him for a long moment, and just when Naruto figured he was going to press the issue he simply turned and picked up the tray, turned on his heel and left the room. Naruto snorted, but with another dumb smile he just shook his head. Sasuke was probably acting just as weird as he was. It was a little nice to see that the stone faced jerk was still in there somewhere.

It wasn't until after Naoyuki had returned home from school that Sasuke and Naruto had decided to tell Naoyuki that they had caught the man responsible. News from the Hokage Tower had confirmed that there were others, but they were being swiftly closed in on and the man Naruto had spoken with, was in fact, the master mind behind it all.

They had eaten and Naruto had made his way to the deck and sat down at the edge. He leaned back and he let out a heavy huff at how achey he was getting even though it likely wouldn't be noticeable to those not looking for it. "I kind of thought you were getting bigger…" Naoyuki said as he sat down beside Naruto when he urged him to. He was kind of cautious about what he said, and watched Naruto with a very wary eye.

Naruto huffed again and he leaned back on both arms instead of just one. "Yeah, well…I guess that sort of happens," he muttered. He wasn't enthralled with the idea, truthfully he could live through the full term, but he'd rather fast forward the experience.

Naoyuki watched him a little longer before he looked over his shoulder for Sasuke, who was dealing with the dishes. "Should I go help dad?"

"Keep me company," Naruto said with a soft smile and he looked toward where the sun was setting with a nearly tranquil breath. "He's probably almost done anyhow, you can help him tomorrow."

Naoyuki tipped his head to the side, "Do we have to talk about something? You're talking weird…" he said, his voice sounding unusually mumbled.

"Maybe, we should wait for your dad though," Naruto admitted, they seemed to be having so many serious talks lately. He was wondering when Naoyuki was going to be able to pick up on his patterns.

"Is it bad?" Naoyuki asked.

"Let's just wait for your dad," Naruto repeated, feeling a little more nervous now.

"That means yes…" to Naruto's surprise Naoyuki leaned on his shoulder and looked at the sunset too. "Okay, I'll wait," He said.

Naruto was a little surprised. He recalled, in the past, Naoyuki's insistence on knowing what was going on immediately when he knew he was being left out. He smiled and shifted until his arm was rested securely around the boy's shoulder. Sasuke came out a few moments later and he sat down, not nearly as close as Naruto and Naoyuki were sitting. Naruto hadn't really expected much more. "You're Papa Kakashi returned home late last night," Naruto started.

"He did? Is he okay?" Naoyuki asked before the boy understood what Naruto was trying to say. "Did they get them?" He asked, his voice was quiet and he started to fidget.

"Stop playing with your sleeves," Sasuke said in a mildly gruff voice. Naruto shot him an irritated gaze, but Sasuke for the first time since Naruto had found out he was pregnant, didn't back down.

"He's okay, he's at home and you can go see him tomorrow if you like," Naruto said. There were always disruptions in the dinners they planned. Missions of course took priority over them, so they hadn't all truly gotten together since Kakashi had left. "They caught the man in charge, and the last should be brought in within the week...they can't hurt you anymore," Naruto said, keeping his voice soothing.

Naoyuki looked down at his sleeves for the longest time. His fingers were twitching, looking for something to grasp onto. Naruto looked up to Sasuke just as Sasuke did the same. He was still a little ticked off that Sasuke had acted the way he did. Naruto decided to reach down and link his fingers with Naoyuki's, gently caressing the backs with his thumbs. "Can I see him?" He asked after an extended period of silence.

Naruto was even more surprised at that, and after sharing another brief look with Sasuke he shook his head. "No baby, that's not going to happen, even if I did allow it, it's still against the rules," He said, breaking down his language just a bit. He watched the boy carefully and he did see him flinch.

"What?" He was up right, and it seemed like he was about to throw another tantrum before he looked at Sasuke. The pair shared a long look and Naruto felt like he had missed something important. Naoyuki's shoulders relaxed considerably and he nodded. "Okay, I get it. I'm…going to go look at my plant journal," he said as he got up and left leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone.

"What was that?" Naruto said with a frown.

"I guess he's deciding to act a little more maturely," Sasuke said.

"What did you say to him?" Naruto asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You were right here, I didn't say anything," Sasuke said with no change in his expression.

"Fine, be that way. Help me up before I get mad," Naruto said with a frown. Sasuke stood and presented a hand, Naruto imagined that Sasuke would have just walked away if circumstances were different. "I wanna sleep now, my head hurts," Naruto muttered.

"You've been having headaches a lot," Sasuke said.

"Mn, yeah. It was like this last time too," Naruto mumbled. He knew what pain was, and how it was to feel exhausted, but feeling like this constantly and for so long made it very trying. "It was worse last time though," Naruto said rubbing his neck as he walked into the house.

"How much?" Sasuke asked, but he sounded hesitant.

"Mn, well, I wasn't very mobile," Naruto muttered with his hands in his pockets. "I don't wanna talk about it. Too tired," he said, maybe lying just a bit. "Maybe I should go check on Naoyuki…"

"Go lay down, I'll check in on him," Sasuke said, leaving Naruto at the door to their bedroom.

Naruto stood there for a moment as he watched Sasuke retreat, "Kay" he muttered. He bit the inside of his lip, wanting to go after him. He chose to trust him instead, and instead prepared himself for bed. Slipping under the cool sheets was the best, summer temperatures were oddly a slow start, but were starting to show themselves. He hated the thought of it, being round, achey, and sweaty all in one. He didn't know how he was going to survive.

He was almost asleep when he felt the mattress dip. It was probably only 8, so Sasuke wasn't here to sleep. He was about to get angry when he was faced with a glass of water. "Here, sit up," Sasuke said, his eyes half lidded.

Naruto's eyes widened. Normally he had to ask or at least allude to things if he wanted them to be done. He sat up slowly and took the glass before taking a sip. His eyes didn't move from the raven though, Sasuke had been a huge help to him and it was still unusual, especially when he went and did things on his own like this. "How is he?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke just shook his head, "Where's your headache?" he asked and didn't do anything until Naruto gestured to his temples.

When the glass was removed from his hands and he was urged back, he was a little unsure how to feel. Sasuke stretched out beside him, and short moments later his cool hands were pressed against his forehead. This, whatever this was, the cool hands on his forehead and many other things were how he'd survive this pregnancy because he wasn't alone this time. "He's confused. He's not sure how he should feel and he thinks seeing the prisoner will help things make sense," Sasuke said.

Naruto looked at the man, trying not to get lost in how amazing Sasuke's hands felt on his forehead. "You don't say?" Naruto said, his brow furrowing. Naruto know exactly how that felt, but Naoyuki wouldn't be allowed in. Naruto had always gotten some sort of closure, even if closure had been 7 years in the making.

"He's working on his plant journal," Sasuke explained quietly. "He'll be fine."

"Okay…" Naruto said, believing Sasuke because something in his voice seemed so sure. He fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Naruto had told Naoyuki about his former abductor's captor. He had been needed to identify the man, but everything had been taken care of pretty cleanly prior to his capture. They had all the right records and accounts, all that was left was the eventual sentencing and all of the aftermath. Naoyuki had grown rather quiet in the days following. He didn't talk to Naruto or Sasuke unless he absolutely had to and Sasuke wasn't sure he liked it. It reminded him of Naruto when he got really upset, but it was better than his previous behaviour so he kept quiet. Naoyuki had agreed to attend a gathering amongst Naruto's friends that afternoon. Sasuke was completely fine staying home and doing a little training.

"Do I have to go?" Naoyuki asked, he was leaning heavily into Naruto who was packing up a few simple treats he had Naoyuki help him make the night before.

"You said you would last night, Shin will be there," Naruto said.

"I see Shin all the time…I slept over at his house not that long ago," Naoyuki muttered quietly. Neither of them seemed to notice that Sasuke was quietly observing.

"So you're going to leave him all by himself to listen to boring old adult talk?" Naruto asked with a frown. Naoyuki grew really quiet before he sighed and he looked over his shoulder. Their eyes met for a brief moment.

"Why doesn't Sasuke have to go?" Naoyuki asked, and Sasuke frowned. He didn't like where this was going, or the way Naruto was taking a long time to answer.

"Uh…" Naruto looked at him as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Shouldn't he be around to take care of you if something goes wrong?" Naoyuki continued, leaning on the counter instead of on Naruto now. "That's what he should do, isn't it?"

"I can take care of myself kiddo, I've been doing it for a long time," Naruto said.

"But you don't have to…it's rude," Naoyuki said, and Sasuke knew at that moment that Naoyuki knew exactly what he was doing.

"Who says I want that?" Naruto grumbled.

"I'll go if Sasuke goes," he said, his large blue eyes met Sasuke's.

"I'll go," Sasuke said, trying to keep his anger under control. He wasn't going to let Naoyuki manipulate him in order to get his way. Naruto wanted him out of the house, so Sasuke didn't see any other option.

"What?" Naoyuki frowned.

"You will?" Naruto's lips parted just the slightest in what Sasuke imagined was astonishment.

"Is that not what I said?" He asked.

"You don't have to be a jerk about it…fine. We're leaving in five minutes Naoyuki. You don't have to wear your coat, but I want you to take it in case it gets cold," he said.

Naoyuki paled a bit but he nodded, "Fine," He turned and Sasuke was positive he was glared at before Naoyuki walked toward his room footsteps a little heavier than normal.

Sasuke didn't pay the bratty behavior any attention. He walked into the kitchen and he helped place the last of the sandwiches that the other two had made. "I'm sorry you have to come with," Naruto said quietly as he looked down at the basket.

Sasuke put the last piece down before he finally looked at the other man. "Don't apologize," He said.

"But you don't want to come, it's not your thing," Naruto said not looking at him.

Sasuke tried not to sigh too loudly, Naruto was in one of those moods and tried to think of what to say that wouldn't make him seem obligated to go. "It's a nice day out, isn't it?"

Naruto looked to the window and nodded, "It really is, isn't it? It's really is summer after all," Naruto said with a smile. The tension left Sasuke's body when he saw that the diversion had worked.

"Do me one favour?" Sasuke requested.

"What's that, Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes were wide, almost childlike now that he was once more content.

"Don't make today an announcement?" He'd rather not deal with all the attention. The constant bustle of people around him, asking dumb questions and making useless noise aggravated him.

"You know what Sasuke? If I could do this, with no one knowing until it was over, I would," Naruto mumbled. He was a little relieved, but had a weird feeling that there was more to that confession.

"I'm ready," Naoyuki said as he leaned against the wall.

"Let's go then," Naruto said with a smile.

It didn't take them long to get to what Sasuke now figured was the designated spot. He had spent a lot of time trying to think of how he'd handle any stressful situations, but when an extended period of time went by, and Nara didn't show up it was made clear that he didn't have to worry. He sat quietly for the most part, Naruto was being his loud obnoxious self, until about a half hour went by.

"I guess it's too weird to see me," Naruto mumbled as he looked down to some sort of pastry someone else had made.

"Context," Sasuke urged, not understanding.

"Hm? Oh…nothing," Naruto said with a grin.

Sasuke watched Naruto with a calculating stare, but couldn't seem to connect the dots. He didn't have much time to dwell on it before Naoyuki and Shin both climbed onto the benches. Naoyuki was grinning before he looked over to Sakura, who had remained quiet as well. She was holding her baby girl, who was definitely much bigger than the last time he had seen it.

"Is she heavy?" Naoyuki asked Sakura, leaning over the table and nibbling on a bun someone had brought.

Sakura looked at Naoyuki before looking down to the baby she had balanced on her knee who was happily gurgling. "Not at all, would you like to see for yourself?" She asked. Sasuke could see the odd looks she had been giving Naruto. He wasn't privy to whatever happened between the two, but Naruto uncharacteristically seemed fine with leaving things as they were.

"I can hold her?" Naoyuki said before looking to both Naruto and himself before he hesitantly walked around the table. His eyes stayed on the baby until he climbed up beside her. Most of the group was still talking amongst themselves, but Naruto and Sasuke had eyes on their son as Sakura carefully instructed him how to best support the child as she reached up to tug on his hair.

"Oh, careful. I've lost so much hair thanks to those little hands," She said with a smile.

"She's cute Aunty," Naoyuki said tipping his head.

He asked questions for a short while before Shin walked up and sat down beside Naoyuki with an odd look on his face. "Why are you so interested in my sister? She doesn't even do anything but cry and smell bad," he mumbled.

"She's not crying right now," Naoyuki said, his lip pulling to the side as he spoke in vague annoyance.

"Probably still smells bad though," Shin said.

"Yeah well, it's good practice since I'm going to be a big brother," Sasuke froze…and so did most of the table.

Naruto's eyes were wide and he looked pretty pale, "I, uh…gotta go…" He said and he was going to stand when Ino let out a high pitched noise.

"Naruto, we were supposed to have our own cute little blonde babies," She whined and she actually pushed Sai out of the way to sit in close. "How far are you, Sasuke you stud. You've always been an over-achiever," She said.

"Ino, can we not?" Naruto said batting at her hands in irritation.

Naoyuki was just staring at them weirdly before turning his attention back to the baby in his arms. "I think I want a brother," he mumbled before telling Sakura she could take the baby back, all the while giving Ino a wary look.

"How far along are you?" Ino said again, lifting his shirt to feel the blonde's stomach. If it wasn't for the awkward congratulations and exasperation, he probably would have felt irritated that the woman was touching Naruto.

Naruto seemed to give in after a moment and he hunched over when the Hyuuga girl made her way over and in a much more laid back manner offered congratulations before effectively sitting between him and the blonde.

"Is that why you've been lazing around at home? I should have known something was up, you could have picked someone better than this as—"

"Kiba, there are children around," Hyuuga said, her voice was quiet but Inuzuka's teeth clicked shut.

"Yeah Kiba, Shut your trap or I'll turn you inside out," Naruto growled.

Sasuke couldn't help but think on what the mutt had said. It wasn't important though, he could see Naruto evidently getting stressed out, and the other blonde was all over him fussing over his stomach. He ground his teeth before he stood and leaned over grasping her wrist firmly. He pulled it up and looked her right in the eye remembering the times she had draped herself over him when they were younger, "We're leaving," Sasuke said before he stood. "Naoyuki, we're going home," he said over his shoulder.

"Sasuke, you don't have to be so mean about it," Ino said, seemingly calming down before she turned to Sai. "I think I'd look cute with a baby bump," She said, forcing her muscled stomach out a little bit before promptly getting mad when the other man didn't respond correctly.

Naruto didn't protest at all, he stood and he left the basket he took and offered a few half assed waves before he started walking home ahead of Sasuke and Naoyuki. When the boy was finally ready he placed his hand on his shoulder and urged him forward, not noticing his behaviour until he spoke. "Am I in trouble? I promise I didn't do it on purpose," Naoyuki said.

"No," Sasuke reached down and grabbed one of his hands, "Sleeves," He said quietly before he urged him forward.

"You don't sound like I'm not in trouble…" Naoyuki mumbled.

"Naoyuki, now's not the time. Now, hurry up," He said, trying to stay calm because he didn't think Naoyuki was sabotaging the lunch just so he could go home. It was a little too cruel for the boy, especially now that he knew what Naruto was.

"Sure. It's too bad Shikamaru couldn't be there," Naoyuki let out a heavy breath from his nose before he tugged his hands free a little roughly and ran ahead and grasped Naruto's hand once he caught up.

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose before he picked up his pace and caught up with the two. He tried not to acknowledge what he was convinced was a purposeful stab at his ego. They were relatively quiet all the way back. As soon as they arrived, Naoyuki had retreated back to his room. It had been an attempt to get him more active, hopefully everything wouldn't be for nothing regardless of the outcome. Naruto on the other hand had moved toward the garden he and Naoyuki kept maintained. "Naruto," Sasuke called, but followed him outside.

"Hm?" Naruto said, as he picked a few things up and began to water a few of their plants.

"Explain," he said calmly.

"I don't get it," he said, his eyes downturned.

"Liar," he reached to grab Naruto's wrist only to have it pinched with Naruto's unusually longer nails.

"Don't touch me!" He said, all of a sudden angry and he began to poke, prod and push at Sasuke's person. "Do you think that you're welcome into my space just because we're sleeping together?" he growled and continued, it took a lot of will power to try and remain collected.

"Naruto, calm down and just tell me what's wrong," Sasuke said in an exasperated tone.

"Who says I'm not calm? What? Don't like it when someone won't get their hands off you?" he said, his palm was flat on Sasuke's abdomen and he stepped once back, getting an idea of what was going on.

"I'd think you would like the attention," Sasuke said, grasping Naruto's wrists again before pulling Naruto to him.

"Get off, it's hot out and you're not going to make it better," Naruto said, but didn't make any moves to avoid him.

"Why is it a problem?" Sasuke asked once Naruto's back was against his chest. He didn't touch Naruto's stomach, instead he gently kept him there. If the blonde truly wanted to leave his grasp, he wouldn't fight it. "If I recall correctly, you're the one who invades people's personal space, and your friends seem to accommodate you just fine," Sasuke said.

Naruto flinched, "You couldn't understand," Naruto muttered.

"I doubt that," he said before hovering his hand over Naruto's stomach, "Can I?" He asked.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and he could see the warmth in the blonde's cheeks before he eventually nodded. Sasuke rested his hand over the gentle swell and felt an odd sense of calm. "Well, you wouldn't," He muttered.

"Then why don't you tell me?" Sasuke tried again.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm not going to those gatherings anymore," He said and he dislodged Sasuke and went back to watering the plants.

"Naruto," Sasuke stepped after him before Naruto pinned him with a glare.

"Sasuke, I'm done talking. Now, I'm going to have no peace for the next four months and I'd like to have at least one moment of quiet before that happens," He growled before he moved onto the next plant.

Sasuke watched him as he checked some of the leaves and he let out a sigh. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere, so he turned on his heel and left without a word. He was thinking of why this was such a big deal. Naruto had seemed almost content with his status and even though he was irritable there was no part of the process that made him like this. He thought through Naruto's behaviours, but kept coming back to the same conclusion, that Naruto had always wanted attention, and now he had it. The next few days saw an influx of visitors with well wishes and awkward congratulations mostly when they addressed Sasuke. Naruto eventually apologized, but each interaction with visitors left Naruto with clear signs of stress. It had gotten to the point where Sasuke had started telling people to leave politely or not, it didn't matter as long as they left. Naruto's mood seemed to level out, and the next two weeks proceeded much better. Naoyuki was going out with his friends, and when he was needed, he helped Naruto out around the house without a fuss.

They had settled in one night, though summer was in full swing the nights were cool enough to keep Naruto rather pleasant. He had filled out enough that he couldn't hide his stomach with clothing anymore, Sasuke was still amazed at how small Naruto was staying though. That lead to the way they were sleeping. Naruto was pressed against his back, the more obvious swell of his stomach pressed against Sasuke's back. The raven was nearly asleep when he felt something odd. His head snapped up and he turned to look over his shoulder without dislodging the sleeping blonde.

"You felt her, didn't you?" Naruto asked, with a dazed smile he had seen on his face a few times within the past few weeks. He hadn't realized that Naruto had been awake.

"Her…" Sasuke turned around then, especially now that Naruto's arm had released his side. He stared down at the blonde's stomach with wide eyes. He didn't make any moves until Naruto forced him to. The blonde guided his hand to a spot on his stomach, but felt nothing.

"See that baby girl, that's your daddy," He said quietly, the smile on his face growing wider.

"Is…is that why you've been acting strange?" Sasuke said, still staring down at Naruto's stomach, both his hands on him now.

"I don't think anyone's acting stranger than you right now," Naruto said, grin still on his face.

"Shut up," He said, but didn't move. He exhaled heavily as he felt another one against his palm, it wasn't very strong, but it was there. He had to actively still his hands, to keep him from shaking because he was so overwhelmed with emotions that someone as stunted as him needed help identifying.

"I didn't want to get your hopes up, so I was hoping that if we slept closely you'd feel it on your own," He said with a little bit of laughter.

His eyes met Naruto's for a moment before he felt his lips stretch into an awkward smile and a quiet laugh bubble up in his throat. "Shit, this is really happening…" He swallowed thickly.

"Uh, duh? What did you think was happening? All my ramen eating days were catching up with me?" Naruto huffed.

Sasuke let out a small half laugh before he leaned forward and caught Naruto's lips. It was chaste and comforting and Sasuke had to convince himself to pull back. He honestly didn't know how he came to be so fortunate. "Tch, moron…" Sasuke said, watching Naruto reach up to scratch his own nose. "You warm at all?"

Naruto gave him an odd look before he shook his head, "Not at all," He confirmed.

"Good," He hummed and he established himself as such that he was pressed against Naruto before closing his eyes. "Go to sleep," He hummed, wanting that contact between he and Naruto in case their child's activity started up again. He wanted to feel it on the off chance he was awake.

"I'm not a child," Naruto muttered, pinching Sasuke's arm but he settled down. Sasuke simply smirked, and kept his eyes closed and fell off to sleep perhaps too long after Naruto did.

* * *

Things between Naruto and Sasuke had settled down within the next week. Naruto's stress levels seemed to be lower, and Sasuke did his best to be his advocate when others came over to keep it that way. Naruto had just gotten back from picking Naoyuki up from the Academy, and much to both of their delight the boy was asking to play outside again.

"Naoyuki, you just got home. You could have asked me this morning," Naruto mumbled, clearly annoyed he had to walk all that way for nothing.

"But dad, it's nice out," He said with a huff before he put his bag down in front of the hallway. "I don't have any work to do other than train, but that's always true, so can I please? I'll go train with Shin! Or with Akamaru!"

"How do you train with a dog?" Sasuke muttered from where he had been reading.

"He's a Nin-dog, dad, come on," Naoyuki said tipping his head back so his hair was all out of his face.

"Do you think your uncle Kiba will let you?"

Naoyuki seemed to stumble at this before shrugging quietly.

"You weren't even going to ask were you?" Naruto frowned, and Naoyuki shrugged again. Naruto sighed heavily, "Go over and train with Shin, but if they aren't home come back home immediately," he said.

"An—"

"—No, you may not see Akamaru, especially if you don't ask your uncle Kiba," Naruto muttered quietly. "Now, you can either go see Shin, or you can find something else to do here," Naruto said.

"Okay, I won't go see Akamaru if Shin's not home," He said quietly before he quickly ran to put his things away before dashing out the door.

Naruto walked into the living area and he slumped down into a seat with a groan. "Summer sucks," He muttered.

"It's not that hot," Sasuke said absent mindedly.

"You try walking all that way, in the sweltering heat while you're growing a person," Naruto said in irritation. It honesty, if hot was too strong a word for that day's temperature (and it was), then sweltering most definitely was.

"Would you like some water?" Sasuke asked, not looking up, deciding not to take the bait.

"I don't want anything," Naruto muttered as he leaned his head against the back of the chair he was in. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his stomach. "Guess what?"

"It's hot outside?" Sasuke said, really just wanting to read.

"You know how I went to go see the old woman today, before she disappeared to go drink Konoha out of business? Yeah, well a couple weeks ago I submitted this request and it was approved today."

"And what request was that?" Sasuke asked, putting the book down in his lap.

"You can travel anywhere you like within the gates," Naruto said with a smile.

Sasuke blinked before he frowned, "Just like that?"

"Just like that," He grinned.

"No evaluation?"

"Nope. So, good news, you can go pick up Naoyuki from the Academy from now on," Naruto said with a pleased hum. Sasuke had a feeling it wasn't something he had a choice in.

"Thank you," Sasuke said. He didn't really mind picking or dropping Naoyuki off, in fact it was probably better to address it now before Naruto had real trouble doing it himself. It was more than that though, sometimes remaining inside the compound without Naruto was difficult, especially if Naruto wanted something he couldn't get within it and didn't want to go and get it himself.

"Just a while more and y'know, maybe we can…" Naruto trailed off and looked toward the opened door to the deck.

"Stop thinking about it and just let it happen when it happens," Sasuke said. He knew Naruto felt guilt over the seal that kept him within Konoha. Being here was something he hadn't wanted in a long time, but what he had now mattered more than some location.

"I guess," Naruto said softly before there was a knock at the door. "Ugh," he grumbled and moved to stand up.

"I'll get it," Sasuke said before Naruto could stand completely.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Naruto said already moving, and clearly not taking the offer.

Sasuke returned to his book and a few moments went by before he heard what sounded an awful lot like Yuta's name. Sasuke frowned and he got up immediately, they had seen Naruto's brats from time to time, but they had been so involved with Naoyuki and the prospect of another child that Naruto's interaction with the three had become severely limited. He did remember the odd comments and the way the teenager had looked at Naruto, and the last thing he wanted was for the kid to forget he was around. When he got to the door, Naruto was kind of just standing there staring at a box in Yuta's hand.

"Um…I have some of your things," Yuta said in a disinterested tone. His expression didn't show the same thing though, it was on Naruto, but it seemed mostly concerned. "Uh, maybe you…should take them…" he tried.

"Thank you…Yuta," Naruto said and he grabbed the box after shaking his head. "It's always good to…see you," He said before he nodded. He stood there a moment and Yuta looked between the two of them before he slowly backed away.

"There was a note made that the paperwork got misplaced, which is why it took so long to return to you...I'll see you around, I know the guys miss seeing you around," It was all said a little awkwardly before he departed.

Sasuke turned his eyes back to Naruto, who didn't step back inside, nor did he close the door. He didn't know what was wrong, and he had no idea that there were still items that needed returning to him. "Naruto, what is it?" Sasuke's hand rested on Naruto's shoulder, which was completely tense.

"Oh…this is yours," Naruto said, in a quiet almost haunted tone. He turned and he placed the opened box into Sasuke's hand. He hadn't seen the contents because Naruto's body had blocked it. Once the box was in his hands, he realized what was wrong. "I'm…I think that it's a good time for a walk," He said before he headed toward the door.

"Naruto, wait," He moved to put the box down and grabbed Naruto's wrist when he caught up to him.

"Sasuke, I don't want to be cooped up in the house right now! I don't need your permission to do that!" He brushed Sasuke's hand off and the raven decided to back off. His heart was already thumping, and he hoped that giving Naruto some time to himself to cool down would be beneficial to him.

"Fine…" He agreed quietly and let Naruto walk out the back door. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to refrain from punching the wall, because his mother's house didn't deserve that, and it was childish behaviour. He hated that kid, he had been nothing more than a pain in his ass ever since he learned of his existence. "Damn it!" He growled and he walked toward the bathroom to wash his face. He had never expected to see his former possessions again. He had plenty of clothing, books, and other things from after he had moved here. Seeing his blade, and the clothes he had worn that were very reminiscent of how he dressed while travelling were not the things that Naruto needed to be seeing right now. He hovered over the sink, staring down at the drain before he looked up to the mirror. Looking back at him was arguably the same man he had been seeing for years now. His skin was pale, his lips were thin and drawn into a perpetually serious line. His hair hadn't changed since after he had left Konoha, and his eyes…his eyes were dark and aging. He looked relatively the same…but the man he was looking at right now couldn't pick that blade up. The man he saw had ties to Naruto that were far stronger than any sentimentality he held for that sword. This man was not the one who would ever raise his hand, or that blade to the blonde and he wished it had just stayed out of his life completely. He wished for that so much, that he didn't know how to return back to the front and properly dispose of it…he didn't know how he could dispose of it.

"Shin wasn't home!" Naoyuki's voice sounded from the front door, and by the sound of his footsteps he had noticed the box, because he remained stationary.

Swallowing thickly, Sasuke looked at the face in front of him before he reached up and smeared his wet hand across it, distorting the picture he saw. He knew he was different, but his face didn't show a damned thing. He dried his hands before he walked out and saw Naoyuki just poking his head around the wall that separated the door from the rest of the house. "Dad…what's all that stuff?" He asked pointing at the door.

"Hn," Sasuke walked passed Naoyuki and he went to gather it, wishing he could close it but the blade prevented that.

"Where's dad?" he asked next.

"Out," Sasuke said as he stepped inside of the house and stopped at the main intersection of the house. He looked down the hall and slowly panned to the living room, dining room, the door to the deck and finally the kitchen and the front doorway.

"What's going on?" Naoyuki asked, fidgeting slightly.

"Sleeves," it was all Sasuke had to say now, and Naoyuki stopped. "I need this gone, so your dad won't see it. Where can I put it?" he asked. He knew this house, but he didn't know if Naruto kept a storage facility anywhere nearby. Naruto had told him that the items that had been in here, everything Sasuke had left was all safe somewhere else.

"Why?"

"He's already seen it. Just tell me where," Sasuke tried again.

"Uh…you can put it in that room," Naoyuki said. Sasuke closed his eyes and swallowed thickly again. He knew where the boy was pointing. It was Itachi's room, the only place in this house that he hadn't been in since he moved back in.

"Naoyuki…I need you to put this box in there. It needs to go in the closet," he said evenly. "I don't want it coming back out, can you do that for me?"

Naoyuki watched him before he walked over and put his hands on the box. "That's…I remember that," he said, eyes on the sword. It was the first time they had met…it should be important, but the stigma was far too great.

"Can you, or can't you?" He asked.

"I can," He said taking the box. He sensed that Naoyuki was going to ask why, but Sasuke walked toward the deck and out into the main garden. He didn't want to even hear the door opening, so instead he went and seated himself quietly in the garden. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to walk away from this house and on some level he never wanted to see it again. Getting out, going to a training ground would be good. It would work this tension out, but the thing that kept him here was remembering the look he had seen on Naruto's face. It was empty, there was no light in his eyes. There was no contemplation, no spark, his lips had taken a natural down turned shape and he was acting like a ghost. There were far too many of those in this place. If he left now, it might give Naruto the wrong idea.

Naoyuki walked out and he seemed hesitant to come closer. "I put it away dad," He said quietly and Sasuke nodded.

"Good…" it was all he said as he watched the leaves of the plants sway in the summer breeze. Naoyuki stood in front of him for a while and remained quiet. Sasuke wasn't paying too much attention, he was trying to figure out how to handle Naruto after everything. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't heard or seen Naoyuki come closer until he felt the child rest against his side, his small arms wrapping around his torso.

"I don't know what you fought about…but Dad will forgive you," He said softly. "I promise," his voice was quiet and his eyes were downcast.

Sasuke felt a little tension wash from his body and he rested his arms around the boy's shoulder. "I know," he said quietly, wishing that was the issue. Naruto had said he was past this, that he had forgiven everything. This clearly showed that there was some part of Naruto that was unsure.

"He's usually only gone for a couple of hours," Naoyuki said and Sasuke nodded and closed his eyes. He just sat there, Naoyuki made no moves to leave. He just needed a moment, and after about ten had passed he rubbed the boy's back gently.

"We should make dinner, okay?" He said moving to stand up.

"Okay," he agreed and stood up and taking Sasuke's hand he gently lead him inside like he didn't know where he was going.

They had just set everything down and Sasuke was about to go and find Naruto when there was a knock on the door. Sasuke looked at him and probably would have gone to see who it was if Sasuke hadn't first. He opened the door and saw Iruka standing there with Naruto, who didn't look like he was in a better state that when he left. "Did you lose this?" He asked.

"I'm not a thing," Naruto mumbled and he walked passed Sasuke quietly and into the house. Sasuke didn't miss that he had evidently been crying.

"Did he say anything?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know what you did, but if he shows up in this state again you will be sorry," Iruka said with a frown. It wasn't all that threatening to Sasuke, not unless Kakashi was going to help him…which, since he was romantically involved with Iruka, he just might. "He came over and had a bowl of soup," Iruka said, but gave him a pointed stare.

"Understood," Sasuke said calmly. He didn't ever want this to become an issue anyway, so the warning wasn't needed. They were looking at one another awkwardly, he wasn't the child that Iruka taught and that frightened the other man, Sasuke was sure of it. As much as he wasn't that person, Iruka's dynamic had changed with how close he and Naruto were, he wasn't just a teacher so he didn't know how to treat him. He cleared his throat and stepped inside with a nod before closing the door. When he returned inside, Naruto was sitting at the table and Naoyuki was watching him carefully. Sasuke almost gave sitting down with them second thoughts, but he did. He slowly lowered himself into his seat and Naruto didn't look at him.

"Looks good," Naruto said as he began to eat. So that was how they were going to play it, Naruto was going to sulk but pretend like he wasn't sulking. Biting the inside of his cheek he nodded and began to eat.

Later that night when they were just about to head to bed, Naruto was standing in front of the bed, already dressed for bed. He had gotten to the point where he wouldn't sleep with his shirt off, and even though they had discussed it, Naruto refused to budge. He rubbed the back of his neck and he sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess I overreacted," He said softly.

Sasuke bit his inner lip and he slipped in behind the other man. He made sure to watch for any signs saying he shouldn't, but received none. "That part of me is gone…" Sasuke said quietly.

"How much of you is gone because of me?" Naruto asked. Normally when his hands rested the blonde's stomach, Naruto would cover his hands with his own. He didn't move at all when Sasuke pulled him to his chest.

"How much of me really needed to exist?" Sasuke asked, his eyes half lidded. His temper was still there, there were plenty of things about him that still existed but he had found that adapting to Naruto's pregnancy was essential.

"But I love who you are…and I shouldn't be acting like this," Naruto said quietly.

"Naruto…I don't want to be that person. That person almost took everything from himself all over again, he was stupid and it was an awful existence. I'm much better off here, as we are now," he said and urged Naruto toward the bed. The blonde remained quiet and he sat down on the bed shortly before Sasuke followed. Naruto turned on his side to face him, his eyes half lidded.

"I'm acting so pathetic," Naruto muttered and hissed in pain when Sasuke pinched Naruto's wrist like the blonde so often did to him. "Ow, you asshole," he growled.

Sasuke smirked, "You're growing a person, that's not pathetic," he said, using Naruto's most often used excuse.

"Che, fine," Naruto muttered before he turned on his other side. "M'sleepy now, long day," he said.

"Hn," Sasuke rested his hand on Naruto's stomach but felt no movement.

"She's sleeping, and I want to do the same," Naruto swatted at Sasuke's hand.

"You are acting rude though," he pinched at Naruto's arm again lightly.

"Sas'keeee, I got a headache, okay?" Naruto whined and Sasuke let out a breath before soothing the sore spot with his thumb. He closed his eyes, keeping his hand on Naruto's side and couldn't help a quirk of his lip before he drifted off to sleep.

Week 22 was more than a little disaster. Things were good at the front of things, but visits from Naruto's friends were frequent in spite of Sasuke's off putting demeanor. It was a discussion with the Hyuuga girl (whom Sasuke learned was now an Inuzuka) that lead to a regretfully long fight.

"Do you know what you're having?" Hinata asked quietly. She and Naruto were sitting across from one another and the mutt was out back with Naoyuki and his own mutt.

"A girl," Naruto said.

"He doesn't know," Sasuke muttered, unless Naruto threw him out he always accompanied the other man when he was going about his checkups.

"I don't understand..." She said, her hands cupping her small cup of tea.

Naruto rolled his eyes and leaned back, "I just know, don't listen to him," he muttered.

She put on a small smile and took a sip of her tea, and met eyes with Sasuke for a moment. His lip twitched and he moved back to the kitchen and began to prepare something for lunch. He hadn't really known why he had stuck around in the first place, it didn't matter though, because he could still hear them from where he was calmly and methodically prepping vegetables.

"So are you going to set up the storage room as a nursery? We have one set up, even though we're still only trying," he heard the woman say. His heart stopped, because that was ridiculous, and he should see them out of the house simply for thinking it.

"You know, I haven't really thought about it," he heard Naruto say and his jaw tightened when he felt the blade in his hand accidentally glide across the pad of his thumb. With a jump he brought the small wound to his mouth and suckled on it for a moment. "I guess we should start clearing it out though, it's a shame I didn't keep Naoyuki's old crib. Maybe we'll move Naoyuki in there since it is larger than his own room."

Sasuke's fist slammed down on the cutting board and he made his way toward the front door. Lack of Naruto's presence made it obvious that he hadn't heard him. He could go anywhere now, but it didn't make him feel any less like a stranger when he eventually found himself seated in a dark corner inside of one of Konoha's establishments. He sat there, growing angrier and angrier as the hours went by with nothing more than a slight taste of alcohol to calm his nerves. He stayed there, until he knew that Naoyuki was asleep. When he got home he opened the door quietly and knew that the Inuzukas would be gone, but still felt extra relieved when he didn't hear the loudmouth or his unusually quiet wife.

"Where the hell have you been?" It was Naruto's voice, and Sasuke almost had the decency to wince.

"Out, I needed some fresh air,"

"Bullshit," Naruto said, and Sasuke could see how tense the man's jaw was. He swallowed as his eyes travelled down Naruto's form, he had lost a few angles in a few places, and the swell was not as prominent as Sasuke thought it might be, but it was obvious.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Sasuke said as he moved toward the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Cut the bullshit, you just disappeared," Sasuke winced, and was glad that he had been facing away from the blonde.

"I wasn't aware I needed your permission to step out. I'm at least partially free, aren't I?" he heard a growl in Naruto's throat. That might have been the wrong answer.

"I know something's wrong," Naruto said, his voice sounded closer.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you should calm down," Sasuke said.

"I'm plenty calm. Now, what's going on?"

"It's not your business."

"I just want to help Sasuke,"

"It's not your job to take care of me," Sasuke said, finally turning to see a look of stunned silence on Naruto's face. Much to Sasuke's surprise the blonde didn't grow visibly angry.

"I wouldn't call it a job, but if that's how you feel," Naruto shrugged and turned.

"We're not converting the storage room into a nursery or a bedroom," Sasuke said stepping forward, his finger pointing toward the ground.

"Ah, there it is," Naruto said, and as he turned back around Sasuke could see his eyes rolling. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Figure it out," Sasuke said, his eyes narrow, hands on the counter his glass resting in front of him.

"Figure it out? I already have it figured out Sasuke, we have Three bedrooms in this house and a storage space located elsewhere on the compound for any items not in use."

"Not in use? You mean items that belong to the dead," Sasuke said, his brow rising.

"What do you want me to do Sasuke? Do you want her crib in our room? When she gets older, what? Have her room with Naoyuki in that little hovel of a room? Not happening,"

"There is no she, you don't know what you're talking about."

"That's what you took away from that sentence?"

"When, not if you have a boy, they will do just fine sharing a room," Sasuke stepped back and took a sip from his glass before slamming the now empty cup down.

"Absolutely not. Either that room is set up, or we move and most likely let this house rot into the ground since I know you wouldn't rent or sell it to anyone else," Naruto was glaring at him and Sasuke knew he was keeping his voice level to keep from waking Naoyuki.

Sasuke paused and thought. This, this was his house, his mother's house. "You're being difficult, as usual, moron."

"I'm not the one who makes things difficult!" Naruto said, raising his voice for the first time as he slipped his fingers up into his hair. Sasuke could vaguely recall the same words being spoken to him the night they fought in the garden and probably changed both their lives all over again. "I don't see what the problem is."

"Why don't you think on that," Sasuke said, he didn't move from his spot, he just stayed watching the man.

"I wish you'd just talk to me," Naruto's eyes were a sharp blue, impossibly visible even though the only light was filtering in from the living area. He didn't say anything. He didn't know how to say anything because he couldn't even admit to himself why he couldn't face that room. He could face Itachi man to man, but facing the room where his life began to end was somehow impossible. "Sasuke? What do you think is going to happen when all of this is done?" his hand was on his stomach and Sasuke swallowed.

"I…" He started but couldn't say anything more than that.

"Maybe you should think more about that and less about the dumb shit that Karin says, or planning what dinner we're going to have tomorrow," Naruto said.

"I was thinking of makin—"

"—That, exactly that…Look, I'm going to go to bed. You have some thinking to do," Naruto said as he turned to walk out. He paused at the door way, and with one brief look over his shoulder and what Sasuke imagined was a sigh, he was gone.

"That's all I've been doing," Sasuke muttered as he tipped his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stayed up for a while and when he went to bed, there was no way he could have missed the signs that Naruto had been crying yet again. He let out a low groan and he lay down as gently as he could manage. He didn't know what the reason was, and could only hope the tears were superficial.

* * *

The next couple of weeks had been rather quiet; the only real source of life within their house was Naoyuki. He was the only thing keeping them as anything even remotely resembling a unified front. Without the boy though, Naruto hadn't had much to say to Sasuke. It wasn't that he was angry; he knew exactly why Sasuke didn't want to utilize the room. The raven had never outright told him that it had been Itachi's room, but it was an easy guess for the blonde. He wished he knew how to fix things; a crib in their room would be easy enough in the beginning. The issue was once the baby started growing and started needing what that room could provide them. Naruto wasn't sure if he was jumping ahead of the game, they could have spoken about it perhaps after the baby was born, but he had an unsettling feeling that Sasuke wouldn't have talked about it then either. Sasuke never spoke about his problems unless he had made up his mind, like when he had decided to avenge his family, he never shut up about it, but Naruto could see that the raven was struggling with what was going on and he wouldn't let Naruto help him in any way.

He couldn't afford to focus on only that though, because he still had Naoyuki to take care of. The boy seemed to sense the tension, but didn't ask about it. He seemed to treat them both like ticking time bombs instead when tensions were high. When Sasuke was off doing anything else, Naoyuki often spent time with him. His visits to see any of his friends had decreased significantly. Since Naruto had told Naoyuki when the baby had developed ears, the boy rarely gave him a moment to himself. It was odd when Naruto found Naoyuki sitting on the deck, not paying Naruto any kind of attention as he drew something into one of his journals.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" Naruto asked as he leaned against one of the pillars. He honestly didn't want to risk sitting down all the way down there and having to ask Sasuke to help him stand back up.

"Mn…Trying to figure something out," Naoyuki said as he wiped a dark smudge from his pencil right across his lips without realizing it.

Naruto smiled and shook his head, "Anything that I can help you with?"

"No," the response was delayed as Naoyuki scribbled something down. "Well, maybe," he muttered before he sat up, craning his head far back to see Naruto properly.

"You think so?" Naruto said and tried to peek at the journal from where he was standing but Naoyuki quickly covered it with his hand and Naruto slumped in mild disappointment.

"Do you know when Sasuke's birthday is?" Naoyuki said his hair flipped back out of his face. The boy was still awkwardly switching between using the man's name and calling him dad.

"His birthday?" Naruto immediately felt awful. He hadn't thought too much on it even though it had crossed his mind a few times in the past couple of months he hadn't committed himself into doing anything. He wasn't really sure if Sasuke would even appreciate it.

"Yeah…it hasn't happened since he came home or anything…you would have told me," Naoyuki said.

"Hm, what's the date today?" Naruto asked, his lip twisting as he looked up to the sky. "The…11th? His birthday is on the 23rd. What are you planning on getting him?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"Mn…dunno yet, what does he even like? Does he actually like things?" it was a bit of a silly question, unfortunately Naruto found it to be a completely valid one at the same time.

"I'm sure he will love anything you do," Naruto said, resting his hand on the top of Naoyuki's head.

"He has to, he's my dad," Naoyuki muttered and Naruto let out a small laugh, it was true. Naoyuki was probably the only person on the planet that Sasuke would appreciate any gift from regardless of what it was.

"Let me get back to you on that, okay?" Naruto said before his lashes fluttered as Naoyuki put his hand on Naruto's stomach.

"Bye baby," He said with a goofy little smile on his face.

Naruto bit his inner lip but managed a smile as he felt a small kick and saw Naoyuki's smile grow larger. It was this that made it worth it, but he hated that he had to keep reminding himself.

* * *

Sasuke had the distinct sense that Naruto was actively not speaking to him, but it was hard to tell. Normally when Naruto got this way he wouldn't say a damn thing, but he'd occasionally ask him a question before withdrawing again. Visitors improved nothing and Sasuke felt like he had nothing to say that would improve the situation either. They simply didn't see eye to eye and Sasuke wasn't willing to concede.

All this together made week 24 little more than Naruto complaining that his head hurt, which they were assured was normal and were given generic instructions to tend to the blonde. On occasion he would run into Naruto talking to his stomach and other times he'd catch Naoyuki doing the same. It was a ridiculous thing; the baby wouldn't understand anything by Sasuke's logic. Regardless of his reasoning, he found himself staring at Naruto's silhouette one night. It had been a long day of almost no conversation and it was starting to drive him crazy. Naruto wouldn't talk to him about anything serious, and Sasuke was just as lost about their predicament as he had been at the start. The blonde had fallen asleep ages ago, so rather than possibly disturb him by turning on the lights he ran his hand along his form until he felt the round swell. He sucked in a heavy breath through his nose as he gently ran his hand over it and tried not to be too disappointed when he felt no kicking.

"Hello…baby…" this was stupid. "I'm sorry your dad and I are fighting right now," he murmured, his voice was a low hum deep in his throat.

Still no kicking, probably sleeping.

"But I promise that by the time you get here…we'll have this figured out, okay? We'll be okay…and I promise I'll protect you with my life," He said, his voice trailing into a whisper.

"Hgnnn, Sasuke," Naruto muttered and he felt Naruto's nails pinch at his flesh and he hissed. "G'way, you can do whatever you want to me in the morn'n, just let me sleep now," He said and he shifted with a heavy sigh before he heard the faintest snoring a moment later.

Sasuke blinked and reaching for the light he flicked it on. Once his eyes had adjusted he let his head flop down onto his pillow and he let out a groan.

The next morning was the first time they really talked, and it started out just as uncomfortably as the silence was.

"You were talking to my ass!" Naruto squawked in laughter as he reached back to find the couch so he could promptly flop down onto it. "You were trying to have a serious moment with my ass, damn it, if my stomach wasn't as small as it is I might be offended that you made that mistake," Naruto said as he started cackling.

Sasuke's lip was firmly twisted into a frown as he stared out the door, his arms crossed. "Shut up, moron. It's not that big of a deal," He muttered trying to ignore the obvious tears of laughter in Naruto's eyes.

"That's the best thing I've ever heard!" Naruto said as he finally began to settle down breathing deeply.

"Hn," Sasuke was firmly convinced that was the last time he ever tried that again.

"Come here dumb, dumb," Naruto said as he patted the seat beside him and it was probably only Sasuke's conditioning to a pregnant Naruto that made him do as he was told. He sat down beside the man and was a little surprised when he felt Naruto's legs rest over top of his lap as he leaned back on the arm rest.

"I don't think I'm the dumb one," Sasuke muttered.

"You had a heartfelt chat with my ass last night," Naruto's brow rose and Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and grunted, ready to push Naruto's legs off of him.

Trying to divert the conversation, Sasuke said, "Have I been promoted to your foot rest now?"

"Shut up you jerk," Naruto muttered as he shifted until his head was comfortable on the arm rest. Sasuke was about to press on when he felt Naruto's hand grasp his wrist and before he knew it his hand was on Naruto's stomach. The blonde had a look of concentration on his face, "There we go, talk away," he said with a grin.

Sasuke looked at his hand on Naruto's stomach as Naruto pulled his own hand away. He swallowed thickly for two reasons, the first was obvious, and the second was because Naruto was all of a sudden back to acting natural around him. He knew he didn't want to leave everything unspoken, but he also felt like Naruto was putting him up to a test. "I don't know what to say," Sasuke said.

Naruto rolled his eyes a little and wiggled his toes, "Just say anything, I mean sometimes all I tell her is my to do list," Naruto said and Sasuke felt a kick.

"Him," Sasuke muttered.

"Your daddy's a dumb, dumb," Naruto said staring down at his stomach and there was another flutter and Sasuke could swear he saw it from under Naruto's shirt.

"Your dad's a loudmouth," Sasuke muttered and he felt more movement under his hand.

"Damn rights, loudest ninja in all of Konoha," Naruto winked before he blinked. "You know what you should do after this?"

"What am I doing after this?" Sasuke muttered, not at all disillusioned into thinking he had a choice.

"Make me some lunch."

"You ate an hour ago just before Naoyuki left for school."

"I'm growing your kid right now, and she'd appreciate some food," Naruto muttered.

"Fine," Sasuke grunted before he managed to find a way out from beneath Naruto's legs. He leaned over though and pressing a kiss to Naruto's stomach he muttered, "Don't believe a single thing he says about me," and with a gentle rub he stood and left Naruto with a huge grin on his face, He didn't acknowledge the fact that his heart was racing.

That night he told the child for real what was on his mind, how he would never let anything happen to them as long as he was still breathing.

It was the next night that he had told Naruto he was going to buy them food. It was that night that he had found his way back to a spot Naruto had taken him. He hadn't been ready then, but there had never been a time when he could see clearly enough that he needed guidance. He was alone when he sat before the marks to his family's grave sites. He knelt in front of them, trying to ignore the trembling in his limbs, ignore the fact that he was suddenly parched, and his mind was blank save for the image of his parents lying on the floor covered in their own blood.

He almost left.

"I must seem pretty pathetic…" He said, struggling to regain his voice. "I'm so weak that I can't even walk into a room," He started. He thought over everything that had happened in his life time, and thought of the lifetimes before and the reasons that might have led up to their demise. "I'm sorry I've never come to see you…" He whispered, "That's going to change," he promised.

When he came home Naruto had been asleep and Naoyuki was in his room doing homework. He stood in front of Itachi's room, staring it down as if he could intimidate it. After an eternity Sasuke was finally able to touch his hand to the handle, turn it, and push the door open at the same time all the breath in his body seemed to abandon him.

* * *

Naruto was happy to notice the change in their behaviour over the next week. It had been difficult finding a way back into their natural relationship. The blonde wasn't attempting to go out of his way to be difficult, and he had no way been intending to give Sasuke the silent treatment, he had just spent the majority of his time thinking of how to solve things. He was trying to be considerate, and he was starting to think of more life style changes. Of course, Sasuke was the common influence for Naruto changing his life on a whim. Shikamaru had once told him that he didn't change for anybody, boy was that a big fat lie.

He had been trying to think of anything that he could get Sasuke for his birthday. After long deliberation he had finally thought of something, but it still left birthdays to come. He imagined that whatever future they had, they would figure out a way to exist that might make obligatory gift giving easier. He could guess that if he could ask up the guts to actually ask Sasuke what he wanted, Sasuke would say nothing. It would be a simpler existence, and one that Naruto oddly shared. He didn't need anything, he wasn't alone anymore, that was all that mattered to him. It was Naoyuki, he wanted to make his son happy, provide things he wanted within moral reason, and he knew the logic of children. If he gave Naoyuki something, that meant Naruto needed to receive gifts too. Naruto was starting to think it would be gift enough to not bake Sasuke something sweet, and to most certainly not shove that something sweet into Sasuke's face in celebration every single year.

Naruto was lying on his side, it was relatively early in the morning when Sasuke got back from dropping Naoyuki off at the Academy. "Hey Sasuke," Naruto murmured when Sasuke lay back down in bed. Sasuke was far more of a morning person than Naruto had ever been, but since Naruto had been spending more time than usual sleeping, Sasuke would sometimes stay with him and talk to him…or just exist silently. They did that sometimes, Naruto didn't really mind it because he knew sometimes that was how it had to be. High traffic events, and a lack of peaceful moments put Sasuke on edge, even if the raven would never admit it. It was so opposite from Naruto, he loved the sound of people, knowing that they were there. He was happy that they could adapt, and tolerate their differences, because they couldn't exist any other way.

"Hm?" Sasuke's eyes didn't open, at least not immediately. Naruto felt a hand move to his stomach and he bit his inner lip.

"Is there anything you want?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno, you don't have like any desire to collect seashells or something like that?" Naruto muttered.

"Seashells…yeah, because I enjoy frivolous activities," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Jerk, s'not what I meant."

"I don't need anything," Sasuke shrugged as he settled his head down onto the pillow, Naruto imagined he could feel the baby moving around.

"Pft, be that way then," Naruto muttered as he buried half his face into the pillow, keeping only one eye on the other man. That hadn't helped a damn bit, and it was exactly what he expected to hear.

"Is the light too bright in here?" Sasuke asked him briefly and Naruto almost rolled his eyes.

"M'fine, no headache, just wishing the little brat would go back to sleep so I can sleep," Naruto said drawing up his shirt hesitantly. "See look at that, she won't sit still," He muttered as there was the slightest movement and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"I didn't…is that…" he leaned up on his elbow and tapped gently on the area where the movement had occurred only to have it happen again.

"Yeah, it happens. Sakura said something about her stomach looking possessed when she had Shin. She was huuuuge," Naruto said with a heavy sigh. Sakura and he still hadn't really talked since he blew up at her. They were relatively civil to one another, but they had both been doing a good job of trying to ignore their issues.

"Fascinating…" Sasuke said, tapping his stomach again, seeming genuinely intrigued.

"Hgggn, go away. I've got enough poking about inside of me without you prodding at me," Naruto twitched as Sasuke's finger did it again and he reached out to pinch Sasuke. He maybe pinched him a little harder because of the sly smirk he saw forming on the bastard's face.

"I have a permanent bruise on my wrist," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto laughed, glad that Sasuke hadn't noticed that he had actually been tickling Naruto as he prodded at him. "Sorry, I forget you bruise like a peach," Naruto said with a grin.

"Moron," Sasuke muttered.

They rested there for a few minutes before a knock sounded at the door. Naruto's eyes lazily slid open and he groaned. "Noooo, no more. Seriously, if it's Ino just tell her that I don't care what she thinks, she can keep her hand out from under my shirt," he muttered and threw the pillow over his head. "And tell her that she needs to grow a pair and tell Sai herself that she wants kids!" Naruto called out as Sasuke got up to answer the door.

It was quiet for a moment, and the lack of a loud voice left him relieved that it probably wasn't Ino. She normally knew her boundaries and was mature about things, but whatever was going on between her and Sai had her acting like a mad woman. He was about to relax fully when he did hear a female voice and his stomach dropped. It was Sakura, he had no doubt about that even though he couldn't hear what she was saying. He bit his inner lip and he moved to stand though, if Sakura was here than either it was something medical, official…or she wanted to talk about what had gone down 12 weeks prior. He closed the door and he started getting dressed, taking perhaps a little too much time because he was uncertain of what was going to happen when he stepped outside. When he finally did finish he walked into the shared areas and saw Sasuke standing at the intersection where the hall to the front door, the kitchen, and their open space met. He could tell that Sasuke was very tense, his back was impossibly straight and that concerned him. He walked forward and he touched Sasuke's arm, giving him a look before turning to the kitchen. Sakura was in the kitchen placing down what looked like basket with Sai right next to her.

"What's going on?" Naruto muttered quietly.

"My birthday's tomorrow…" Sasuke said, his voice was low and showed absolutely no fluctuation in tone.

"And?" Naruto watched Sakura as she took out a cake and he sighed, "Oh…is that a problem?" Naruto asked, his head tipped. He felt a little selfish for being ecstatic that they weren't here for him, and a little pleased that they were here to see Sasuke. He knew it made him uncomfortable, but he didn't like the idea of Sasuke only having Naruto and Naoyuki for social interactions.

"I don't care about my birthday," Sasuke said simply.

"You mean you don't care either way? Or you don't want to celebrate it?"

"I don't want them here," Sasuke said.

Naruto let out a soft sigh and he rubbed at his lower back, "Trust me, I want to eat Sakura's cooking about as much as I want to eat a live rat, but she's trying to be nice."

"I don't want him here."

Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes, "You don't even know him," Naruto muttered before walking toward Sakura. He hated that part of Sasuke that judged without any context, and being able to think logically enough, he didn't want to cause a scene today.

"Hello Naruto," Sakura said with a smile as she poked around his kitchen, clearly remembering where he kept things from the last time her and the family had spent the evening with him and Naoyuki.

"This seems like a lot of work for an untrustworthy bastard," Naruto said looking over everything, partially because he was starving.

"I wouldn't think you'd be with him if you thought him untrustworthy," Sai said, his arms crossing over his chest and Naruto shook his head.

"Sarcasm," Naruto said.

Sakura's cheeks flushed, nearly enough to match her hair before she began to section pieces of the small cake. "You were right…besides, I was thinking about what you said back when Sasuke first got back. He might need people who actually knew who he was, not who he was rumored to be," She said quietly.

"Then you'd probably know that he's probably not going to eat that cake," Naruto said as he reached for a piece only to have his hand slapped. "Ow…I haven't eaten yet, woman," he frowned.

"Then start with something healthier," Sakura scolded.

"Then you shouldn't have dangled cake in front of my face!" he said, his voice rising.

"Is he really that picky?" Sai asked.

"He likes eating healthy, it's a pain in my ass," Naruto pouted.

"Probably saving your ass," Sai said with a smile.

"You guys suck," Naruto muttered. "All three of you, I eat just fine," he whined.

"Long term observation says different," Sai pointed out.

"Why are you here again?" Naruto muttered.

"I haven't spent any time with Sasuke, I'm interested to see what the reasons are you two are so dedicated to him."

Sakura snorted, "It's almost ready, Sai can you set the table?"

"I'm a guest, I didn't think it was customary for me to do household chores Naruto should be doing," Sai said.

"You're going to love having kids one day," Naruto muttered, knowing Ino she wouldn't take any of that from Sai.

Sakura laughed before her fell into a frown, "Just go do it."

"I suppose I have no choice then," Sai said with a smile before holding something up for Naruto. When the blonde saw the apple he felt entirely too excited.

"You're the best Sai," he said as he grabbed it and took a bite. They were quiet for a while as Sakura finished setting everything else up. "You know that Sasuke's birthday's tomorrow, right?" Naruto tried to help, but he was strictly told to buzz off.

"I know, I just thought that maybe Sasuke would rather spend it with you and Nao instead of with people like…well, Sai," Sakura said, her voice breathy as she sighed.

"Just making sure you weren't a day ahead of yourself," Naruto said with a grin before he ran off to find Sasuke.

"You know, she put a lot of effort into this, you could at least try," Naruto said when he found Sasuke in their bedroom.

"Who said I wasn't going to do anything? I'd rather just get it over with," Sasuke said.

"You'd teach Naoyuki such wonderful manners," Naruto hummed as he walked out with Sasuke behind him.

"Since when did this become about my parenting? As far as I know, I put myself into undesirable situations in order to teach him better," Sasuke said, his voice still not fluctuating in tone.

"I guess," Naruto said with a hum.

"Besides, I think we have to talk more about your manners more than mine," Sasuke said.

"I don't think we have to talk about anything," Naruto said getting a little angry. "Hey guys, wanna hear a funny story about what Sasuke did to me last week?"

"They don't," Sasuke said, giving him what Naruto imagined was a pointed stare, but he ignored it not caring how petty he was being.

"Playful teasing amongst friends is necessary to have a healthy relationship is it not? I'd like to hear," Sai said.

"We're no—"

"—The dumb bastard woke me up one night, and I was sleeping real heavily too because, y'know…" Naruto told the entire story, about how he was rudely awoken by what he had thought was Sasuke being a dog. By the time he got through it Sakura was doing her best to hide her laughter.

"That's adorable Sasuke," Sakura said as she took another mouthful.

"Hn, your opinion is fascinating," Sasuke was looking out the door, he had already finished his food.

"But it's true," Sakura said as she stood up. "I think we should have some cake now."

"No thanks," Sasuke muttered and Naruto nudged him with his foot beneath the table.

"It's lemon cake, it's very mild Sasuke," Sakura said as she placed a plate down, Naruto was glaring at Sasuke for trying to ruin this for…ruin his own birthday. "Just one bite?"

Sasuke stared her down, his arms crossed and with one look at Naruto he sighed and took a piece. "It's good, I'm still not hungry though," Sasuke said calmly and leaned back.

Naruto let out a breath and when he looked over to Sakura she was simply smiling. "Thanks for trying it, Sasuke," it was awkward. The entire exchange was awkward after 10 years of separation, 7 years of not knowing a damn thing, and an entire life time of knowing that they once could exist harmoniously. Naruto watched the small look they shared, and Sasuke simply nodded. The blonde was happy that at least they were trying to hold on.

That sense of hope in him almost died when he looked down at the cake and was overwhelmed with something else. "I don't want this…" Naruto said softly. He had been so excited for it, and all of a sudden the second he looked at the fluffy pastel body of the cake layered in a creamy icing he knew the second he bit it that it would be too heavy in his stomach. He could imagine how sweet it was, and no matter how much that wouldn't have mattered an hour ago, he couldn't untaste it.

"So you force me to eat cake, when you won't even do it?" Sasuke muttered.

"I don't feel so good," Naruto muttered. Looking at the cake and feeling sick made him actually sad. If there wasn't cake, what hope was there?

"Don't worry about it Naruto," Sakura said with another sugary sweet smile, which made him feel a little better because she hadn't smiled like that at him in months.

They stayed for about an hour, Naruto was talking mostly with Sakura and Sai about past missions. Any attempt to bring Sasuke into the conversation was pitifully met with a blank stare. Much to Sasuke's credit, he didn't once bolt for freedom. He could tell that the raven's patience was wearing thin when Sai began to make odd speculations that they perhaps could be friends. "I don't think you'd want that," Sasuke said. Naruto knew Sasuke wasn't talking about Sai at that point.

"I'm getting pretty tired," Naruto murmured softly with a big stretch and Sakura nodded.

"Oh, of course, I guess we lost track of time. Come on Sai, I'm sure Ino's wondering where on earth you've been," Sakura said.

"I haven't finished my conversation," Sai said.

"We're done," Sasuke muttered and he stood up.

"You could at least pretend not to be a dick all the time," Naruto muttered. "Sai's been nothing but nice to you this entire time."

"He didn't have to be," Sasuke said offhandedly.

"It's okay Naruto, he has a problem with my behaviour, I assume," Sai said with a smile.

Naruto knew that wasn't the issue, "He has a problem alright, but it's not you," Naruto said, not able to recognize that he might have been a little out of line.

"Yes, and it won't give me any peace," Sasuke muttered.

"What, it's only been, what? 5 months and you're sick of me?" he was vaguely aware of Sakura trying to step back to give them space, and even less aware that the look she gave them was considering stepping into the argument as well.

"Don't put words in my mouth," Sasuke said.

"I don't have to, Sai's not a replacement for you and five minutes with him should tell you that. More than that, he's precious to me, so you're going to have to square with that one day," Naruto muttered, he knew that was one of the issues Sasuke had, was how similar they looked and the fact he had been placed on their team.

"You're making things difficult again," Sasuke said, his eyes were on Sakura as if he could will her and Sai to disappear with little more than that.

"How am I making it difficult?" Naruto was yelling and Sakura was trying to butt in to tell him to calm down.

"You're picking a fight," Sasuke's voice didn't change.

"I think you owe Sai an apology," Naruto muttered.

"That's not necessary," Sai's voice chimed in. "I do think we have overstayed our welcome."

"Oh, now he gets it? That's a brilliant friend you have there," Sasuke muttered.

"You don't even know him! I don't get how you can be this way when you put up with that kind of bullshit growing up, with people who refused to even know you before they spoke about you," Naruto growled. "You don't know what Sai's been through, or hasn't been through and you know what? I think I'd rather spend time with them right now, you have my full permission to leave," He muttered his arms crossed.

Sasuke looked at him for a long time, there was very little information that Naruto could process. The tenseness of his jaw, the cracking of an unidentified joint and a heavy breath through his nose were all Naruto saw before Sasuke turned and left. A few moments later the front door closed. Naruto's eyes were wide when he felt Sakura's hand on his arm.

"He left…I can't believe he left," Naruto said softly. He knew what he said on some level, but it wasn't registering. He couldn't figure out what this feeling was, like his world was black and it was just him here, even though Sakura was speaking to him.

"Just let him blow off some steam, he'll be back," Sakura said softly.

"How can you know that?" he was still not thinking clearly.

Sakura was quiet, thinking of how to speak without insinuating anything harmful, "Women's intuition," it was apparently the best thing she could come up with.

"We've caused a few problems, haven't we?" Sai said, his voice was soft.

"No…it's not your fault. I am such a moron," Naruto muttered and he covered his face with his hands feeling overwhelmingly nauseous.

"That's not true. Naruto, you should sit down," Sakura said leading him to the couch. He sat down and leaned his head against the back, just breathing before the pair tried to take his mind off of everything.

* * *

Sasuke was on his way back to the house within a half an hour. There was still an hour before he would have to pick Naoyuki up, so there was time. There was time to hopefully address something he had seen in Naruto today. He thought about it the entire time he had been walking. Figuring out what was wrong with Naruto was usually easy, the blonde would eventually give himself away and that's exactly what happened before he left the house feeling like a fool. Sasuke didn't like Sai, there was just something about his face that made him want to get violent. Regardless of how he felt, he definitely shouldn't have said anything. Naruto, like himself, had spent his entire life being gossiped about. He had to face years of people calling him the Uchiha legacy, telling everyone he was a genius, that he was perfect, desirable, amongst hundreds of other speculations. He hated every second of it, every moment of people thinking he was a tool that they could use to gain power, physically or romantically. Naruto on the other hand, spent years being openly hated for no reason. No reason that he or any of the other people of their generation could understand until much later. As a child Naruto might have been slow, he might have been ridiculously annoying, but Sasuke had always known that they shared some of the same hardships. He had never hated Naruto, but it didn't mean others didn't. It didn't mean that others didn't call him names, or openly ignore him without first getting to know him. He would bet his life, that was why Naruto was so passionate about what others might consider a non-issue.

He should have thought of it sooner, but he wasn't entirely sure that Naruto thought about the relation consciously either. He could only hope that he could make it somewhat better when he returned home. It didn't help that Naruto's emotions were imbalanced, the blonde wasn't overbearing but Sasuke had learned to adapt because he didn't want to cause undue stress where in any other situation he would likely challenge the blonde. At least, in the spectrum of odd behaviours he had experienced in the blonde over the last few months, he had finally figured out the root for one of them. There was still a matter of Naruto's aversion to guests, but it wasn't nearly as important right now.

When he stepped in the house he heard Sakura's voice from down the hall and inwardly grimaced. It wasn't that he was trying to be rude, he just didn't know how to react to her, and she didn't know how to react to him now that she had put his existence away and moved onto a husband that was nothing like him. "Sakura it's just a headache, I'd really like to just…go have a bath or something," Naruto muttered, clearly not hearing him enter, and clearly not sensing him either.

"Fine, but if anything changes you have to say so, okay?" Sakura said and he heard her stand.

Sasuke decided to step into the room at that point, Naruto's eyes found his and there was something there than he didn't recognize. "Oh…you're back," He murmured softly.

"See, I told you," Sakura said and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Why on earth would she need to reassure him?

Sasuke looked from Sakura, to Sai who was seated in an armchair. He didn't know what to say, not with them sitting around. Instead he walked up to Naruto and placing the bag that had weighted his fingers down the entire walk back home he pulled out a carry away bowl. "Just this once," Sasuke said, looking at Sakura who just seemed to nod in confirmation that it was okay.

"Is that?" Naruto looked over the rim.

"Ichiraku's, he added some extras for you, free of charge," He said calmly.

Naruto's brow furrowed and he leaned forward, "Ugh, I could kiss you right now," Naruto said, but regardless of that his only goal was to take the bowl from him.

"You'd kiss me anyway," Sasuke muttered, well once he cooled down at least.

"Shut up, jerk," Naruto muttered, seemingly back to normal.

Sasuke snorted with a quirk to his lip before his eyes caught Sai once more. He looked at him for a long moment trying to think of anything to say. "Your personality is interesting," it certainly wasn't anything he would have classified as normal, or even anywhere near what he had expected of the man who seemed to look like him.

"Really? I thought I was quite boring," there was that awkward smile again.

"That's the bastard apologizing," Sasuke rolled his eyes when Naruto spoke up.

"That's strange, but regardless, there's nothing to apologize for," Sai said simply.

"We should go now," Sakura insisted before telling Sai that she'd catch up with him. "Sasuke, can I have a word with you?" Sakura said, taking one last look before Naruto basically attacked the bowl.

Sasuke simply stood and followed her to the area where everyone's shoes were. Sai had stepped outside Sasuke figured. Even in his moments of speculation, Sasuke never left himself unguarded. When Sakura moved to slap the back of his head, all he had to do was place a firm block of his arm before he slapped his arm down and grasped her shoulder tightly. "You're a grown woman, try talking," Sasuke chastised.

"What the hell is the matter with you? You have to know what he's going through, and then you just up and disappear?"

"I don't need his permission to do anything Sakura, but seeing as I had no ill intent, nor will I ever, I don't see the problem."

"He's vulnerable, he's soft hearted enough when he's thinking straight and he forgives and forgets a lot of things. You need to tell him you're coming back."

"He knows I wouldn't leave, and where would I go? To my death?" Sasuke muttered. There was a distinct sinking sensation in his gut though.

"So what, you only come back because you have to?"

"Did you hear me say that?" Sasuke let go of her arm when she slapped at his wrist, which was ironically the one that suffered the most abuse from Naruto's nails.

"He's not thinking clearly enough to know that, from what I've seen. He's not going to tell you either, so why don't you just grow a pair and learn how to talk?" Sakura said, her arms crossing as well over her chest.

"Coming from the woman who tried to slap sense in me without context?"

"Just quit being so damn selfish," Sakura said.

"I think you should leave," Sasuke said with a frown. Sakura's words had some merit, but she didn't know how they interacted.

"Just think about it," she said before she turned to leave.

"Sure," Sasuke watched her leave and stayed stationary for a bit. He didn't know what was going on with Naruto, but that was the last idea he wanted to put into his head. Pinching the bridge of his nose he let out a heavy breath before he went back to the living area where he found Naruto already done.

"That was the best thing ever Sasuke," Naruto said with a smile as he moved to stand. Sasuke held out a hand to help him up before he made to get rid of the non-consumables.

"You probably should have savoured it, you have another couple of months or so to go before you can have any more," Sasuke said.

"Ugh…middle of October probably," Naruto said quietly.

"That soon?" Sasuke said, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden. It didn't seem possible, especially since from Sasuke's knowledge, pregnant women were decently sized by this point. Naruto could somehow still fit into a pair of pants only one size larger.

"Mhmm," Naruto said with a lazy grin on his face, whatever distaste he had before was gone.

Sasuke nodded quietly, trying to calm his nerves so they wouldn't alarm Naruto. The blonde didn't seem to notice. "I get it…I don't know why he sets me on edge, but I get it. I shouldn't have said what I said," Sasuke said with a heavy sigh.

"You shouldn't have," Naruto said softly. "I probably overreacted," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe," Sasuke said, but it was with a smirk that sparked another small chuckle from the blonde. "Hey…"

"Yeah?" Naruto said turning his head to look at him.

"Smile."

"What?"

"Smile," Sasuke urged and let out a long breath when Naruto smiled, almost shyly. It wasn't quite what he had in mind, but it was a step closer to seeing a real smile on his face. He leaned forward and caught Naruto's lips, and when the blonde's entire body relaxed into his he felt a sense of calm that for once was peaceful since their previous fight. His hands found Naruto's sides and dragged down them roughly. The touch of Naruto's tongue against his lip, playfully warring with his was almost enough to distract him. It took every bit of will power to pull back, "I need to go," He said, wishing very much to see where this was going.

"Don't," Naruto murmured against his lips and caught his again, and Sasuke was very nearly dragged back in.

"The Academy will be letting out soon. Come with me," He said.

Naruto huffed and stepped back, "No thanks, I already had a date with the bath tub. You go," Naruto said scratching the back of his neck before he awkwardly headed down the hall.

Sasuke watched him and his jaw clenched at his sense of timing. "Okay," He said, not pressing the issue of Naruto going out for now before he stepped outside.

* * *

The next day wasn't nearly as stressful for Sasuke as the previous day was. In fact, Naruto made an effort to make his favourite dish, which Sasuke didn't really have. He liked certain things, but what fashion they were eaten in didn't matter to him. Naoyuki had insisted on baking a cake, but made sure that it wasn't tailored to his preferences. When it came time for gifts, Naoyuki had ended up taking out a small basket with various snacks that Sasuke liked and a shirt that he had no doubt Naruto had picked out. Sasuke really didn't need anything, but the gesture had made him happy.

Between the two of them, Sasuke knew that there was no way that he was escaping the day without getting some food on his face. It was the last gesture of the night before they had sent Naoyuki to bed. Once the boy was asleep, Sasuke ventured out to find Naruto who was out on the back deck and was winding down with a smile on his face, which set Sasuke at ease most of all. He sat down beside him, Naruto was always more agreeable at night when things were cooling down from the awful summer heat. Sasuke much preferred the cold.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke," Naruto said with a soft smile, as if it was the first time he had said it that day. "I got you something," Naruto said softly.

"I told you I didn't need anything," Sasuke said, but Naruto just shrugged as he reached to his side and pulled a package wrapped in the same frog paper that the album had come in. He looked down at it and carefully began to open it to see a selection of books.

"I got Gaara to find a few for me in Suna since I can't travel anymore. A lot of them are history books from places outside of Konoha, I thought you might like it," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck.

Sasuke's fingers gently moved across the cover of one of them before he opened it. Sasuke read quite a bit, and he was surprised to see that Naruto might have actually been paying attention to some of the titles. He did minor research into the things that Naoyuki found interesting, but it was this sort of book that he enjoyed reading the most. "Thank you…" Sasuke said turning to look at Naruto who was now looking down.

"Well there's more…kind of. It's not really a gift, but I think we should talk. I've been thinking, and the extra room…look we don't have to do anything to it. We can make due for a while with a crib elsewhere and then we can look for another place to live," He said, offering a small smile that was a little more melancholy.

Sasuke's eyes had widened in hearing what Naruto had to say, and he looked down to the book for a moment before he placed it aside. "Come with me," he said, standing and extending two hands to the blonde to help him up off the floor of the deck.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked with a frown, but stood anyway.

"Trust me," Sasuke said calmly.

Naruto nodded, "'kay…" it didn't come with any hesitation.

Sasuke kept one of Naruto's hands firmly clasped in his as he walked him farther into the house. He looked at the door that led into Itachi's old room and was hyper aware of Naruto's eyes pinned on him as he carefully rested his head on the knob. Turning it, it clicked open and he pushed the door before turning on the lights. There had been a lot of boxes, most of them open and with various things sticking out from his past, from Naruto's past. He had carefully sealed everything away and placed them in the corner ready to relocate them. "I was thinking that… we could put Naoyuki's bed right over there, and his book shelf here, his art supplies can fit in the closet along with his clothes," He said calmly. It had been a difficult process, but he was here…that had to count for something.

"Sasuke…" Naruto's voice was small as he stepped into the room, placing a hand on the wall. "Sasuke, we don't have to…I mean, I just want you to be okay," He murmured, his voice sounding small.

"This is my home Naruto…I'm not going to let a memory change that," He said. He had decided in the time since their fight that he wasn't going to let this room control him. That notion was against everything Sasuke had built himself to be.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

"Would I have done it if I wasn't?" Sasuke asked. Naruto was quiet but he shook his head before he stepped closer. He leaned into Sasuke, and his stomach hit him first before his forehead did.

"We'll make this work, Sasuke," He said and Sasuke placed his flat palm between Naruto's shoulder blades.

"Of course," Sasuke murmured before ducking down to catch Naruto's lips a brief moment before leading him out of the room. This felt different…being able to move forward. He had though, in the past that attempting to avenge his family was progress, he knew now that in his 24 years that his entire childhood had been spent running around in circles.

Week 26 built on existing troubles. There had been small incidents during the week, another instance of Naoyuki abducting Akamaru and an episode of Naruto sitting on the back deck eating tomatoes, which Sasuke was still convinced was the strangest part of his pregnancy. Things progressed and Naruto still refused to go out unless he absolutely had to. That's what led up to their next fight.

"I don't see what the problem is, you can't just stay cooped up in here all the time," Sasuke said.

"I can do whatever the hell I want, bastard, it's my life," He growled.

"No, it isn't. This can't be healthy behaviour for the both of you and you know it," Sasuke said.

"How the hell would you know? I don't expect you to get it, so just drop it," Naruto mumbled as he moved toward the bedroom before Sasuke caught his wrist.

"I would if you would just tell me," Sasuke said.

"You mean like how you should just tell me when things are bothering you?" Naruto said, and Sasuke flinched, knowing he had a tendency of locking up until he had figured things out.

"What's the problem, you won't even see your friends anymore," Sasuke didn't really want to see them, but if it meant that Naruto would stop acting this way he would gladly tolerate it.

"I just don't want to, okay? Now, I feel like shit. You stay out here, I'm going to have a bath, and so help me if you come within five feet of the bathroom door I'm going to punch you," Naruto said levelling him with a sharp glare.

Sasuke didn't say anything, he just watched him walk away before he let out a heavy sigh. He had a headache himself and he was more than a little frustrated. Naruto rarely smiled, and he seemed so utterly depressed. It was fine in the beginning, but now Naruto was having trouble talking with Naoyuki and himself, not to mention the fact that he was clearly suffering from nightmares he wouldn't open up about. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on, and Naruto absolutely refused to tell him. He knew by this point he needed to tell Sakura the next time Naruto had an appointment just how far Naruto's introverted attitude had progressed. He needed to make sure that both of them were going to be okay.

He tried to think of his options, he had talked to Sakura already about his behaviour. She had told him things he could do to help, but knew just about as much as Sasuke did as to what Naruto's problems were. He found himself with two options. He could talk to Iruka, and the second was so far beyond him that he wasn't even going to try. That's what he had thought, but his awkward talk with his former academy instructor had only yielded that Naruto had mostly complained when he was pregnant with Naoyuki, he had been in a completely foul mood most of the time, but Naruto hadn't told him what was wrong either. His last option was something he had to build himself up for. It took him three days to show up and it took three good attempts at knocking on the door for someone to answer it.

"This is unexpected," Nara said with an overly bored expression on his face.

"I need to talk to you," Sasuke said, trying to speak with unclenched teeth, because this wasn't for him.

"And I have a good three hours of nothing to get to, think you could make this fast?" He could tell that the other man assumed he wasn't here for any good. In fact, the man looked like he was about to close the door in his face.

"It's about Naruto," His hand shot out to catch the door.

"I've kept plenty far away from him, any farther and I'd be in Suna. What more do you want?" Sasuke wasn't convinced that the lack of Nara's existence was because of him.

"It's not that," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Oh?" Nara looked at him for a long time before he sighed and stepped inside the house. Sasuke looked at the open doorway before looking over his shoulder. "I'm not standing in my doorway, so shut the door. I don't care which side of it you're on, but I'm guessing it's serious so let's figure out what's wrong," Nara said from inside.

Sasuke swallowed and there was a large moment of silence before he shook his head and walked to the door. This was the last place on earth he thought he'd ever go, but desperate times.

**TBC…**

Sorry it's been so long. My dad ended up in the hospital for a while. He's perfectly fine now, but he was in there for a while so that's where I've been. I've been contacted a couple of times asking if this would continue, there's really only a couple of chapters left, so don't worry. We're so close I can feel it.

I hope everyone is doing well. I must go study for my finals now~

KoriC


	14. Chapter 13

**Warnings: **Angst, Language, Mpreg, Yaoi/Slash, still unbeta-ed

**Disclaimer_: _**I don't own, unfortunately. I also don't profit from writing this.

Chapter 13

Sasuke stared at the open doorway and he heard his teeth click together as he looked both ways as if to see if anyone were watching him make the decision. He probably stayed out there far too long, but he eventually managed to step inside and close the door. He wasn't sure what he should expect, but the inside was rather plain for the most part. There wasn't really anything on the walls, save for a picture or two that Sasuke didn't look at. There were books lying around and a Shogi set with pieces scattered both on the table and around it. The set looked suspiciously similar to a smaller set in Naoyuki's room. The place wasn't dirty, just a little untidy and Nara didn't seem at all concerned about having a guest inside of it in its current state. Sasuke figured the guest being him probably didn't make the other man care anymore than he might have than if it was someone else.

"Took you long enough," came the man's bored voice from where he sat in the living room with a cup of tea in his hands. "Feel free to sit."

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and nearly told the man he was perfectly fine standing. This wasn't about him though, so after another stiff moment he sat, and couldn't help but be reminded of the few psychological evaluations he had been put through. "He's depressed," was all Sasuke could say. "He's depressed and he won't say anything to anyone, and it was fine but it's starting to get out of hand," may as well get this over with. Sasuke wasn't really one beat around the bush.

"Out of hand?" Nara said, looking at the rim of his cup.

"He's neglecting everything, including Naoyuki. The only things he seems to do are the essentials. He eats when he thinks he has to, and he sleeps when he can't stay awake anymore, but rarely for very long. Every time someone mentions it, he gets angry and walks away. He spends most of his time holed up in his study. "

"He locks himself away when he's out of sorts. Sometimes he needs sound advice to snap him out of it," the other man said.

"Try talking to him right now," Sasuke muttered.

"Maybe you're not starting the conversations right," Nara said leaning farther back in his chair with a yawn.

Sasuke looked at him for just a moment before his eyes started panning across the room. He thought back to all the times he had tried talking to Naruto, and most of the time he was asking what was wrong. "I don't know what more I can do but ask," as far as Sasuke knew, he hadn't demanded, hell he'd actually pleaded. "I ask him to go out, the farthest he's made it since the last time he picked Naoyuki up is to the garden," he let out a soft breath.

"You know…I wasn't really around when he was pregnant the first time as more than a friend…but if you think about it, his situation is rather unique. It's not entirely unheard of, a pregnant man since the history of tailed vessels goes on far longer than Naruto…but it is unusual enough that it's still thought impossible. He's had to recover once, after being told he was a vessel. I don't know how he handled that, but do you think that there is any possibility that he's feeling insecure, maybe more so now that he's out of sorts?" Nara said, his expression looking as if he were deep in thought. "I wouldn't go off of that alone, but it's a possibility for why he won't go outside, because your neighbors might not get it."

Sasuke paused, and breathing in deeply he held it for a moment as he thought. He had never thought about it, the thought of having a child and having Naruto at the same time was all that mattered. When Naruto had offered to try and explain, he had just waved it off because he wasn't going to question something that had given him everything he wanted. "Maybe, I didn't know he was a vessel until…I figured it out on my own, by that point he made peace with it," he sort of lied, "it doesn't explain his behaviour to his friends though."

"Maybe that's not all that's wrong. Like I said, jumping off point," Nara stood and moved into the kitchen for a moment and came out with a fresh cup, and oddly another cup which was presented to him. Sasuke looked at the other man, and he eventually decided to take it. "Look, I'm not going to sit here and try and analyze everything he does for you, or even for his sake. For one thing, it's strictly his business, and if I know anything about talking with Naruto is that you should hear it from him, not from others. He's rather particular about that."

Sasuke nodded quietly and took a sip, not feeling any better. It certainly seemed to be possible though. Naruto hated gossip, Sasuke really didn't want to be on the end of another argument revolving around it. "It's getting him to talk about it that's the problem," Sasuke reiterated.

"There has to be a reason he's closing himself off. I'm not saying it's even external, but there's one thing you have to realize. He's not entirely himself right now, he's rather vulnerable and even though he's someone who is usually an open book there's a lot of him he keeps to himself because he doesn't like to live life stuck in one place. Maybe he can't see a way to move forward, he might not be telling you because he doesn't want you to be burdened…don't go telling him that though. I can't see that ending well."

"No…it wouldn't," Sasuke said looking down at his cup finally. The fact that the man did know odd quirks about his lover was awkward to hear, and something he might have raged about if his mind hadn't been on something else. He was in such a state of concern that when his eyes trailed the wall and found a drawn picture that looked like Naoyuki's and a plant he knew Naoyuki loved and had many of, there wasn't any anger just an odd realization that this man shared a part of his child's life at one point. He still didn't enjoy that fact. "You have a lot of unmarked books," Sasuke said as he stood. The man looked at him with the quirk of one brow and the cracking of his knuckles once he placed his cup down.

"I keep journals, when I can be bothered to write in them," he said and Sasuke mentally flinched.

"I need to gather Naoyuki," Sasuke said, he looked toward Nara and held his gaze for a long moment without wavering. Sucking in a breath he nodded and simply turned to leave before he could fully register the man doing the same.

He left the house with a heavy breath and closing the door behind him he heard a faded cracking of knuckles. He wasn't quite sure what to do, there was some insight but breaching the subject with Naruto wasn't something he could figure out. He wasn't social, and one thing he most definitely didn't care about growing up was anyone else's problems. Trying to rehabilitate someone seemed like a gargantuan task. He wandered almost mindlessly to the school and when he arrived there were the telltale voices stating that he was a monster, that he shouldn't be allowed near their children. Sasuke imagined if there wasn't summer break they'd probably complain to some board to have him banned from the premises, it was currently at the bottom of his concerns.

"Dad!" Naoyuki ran up to him, and Sasuke had to brace himself because the boy ran right into his legs. His arms wrapped around Sasuke and he tipped his head back with a wide grin that belied every problem that was going on under their roof. "Can we go swimming tomorrow? Dad always takes me swimming the day after Summer break starts!"

Sasuke placed his head on the back of Naoyuki's hand and urged him to let go, "I'll think about it, if not we'll figure something out," Sasuke said with a nod.

"If you say so," Naoyuki said with a heavy breath as he stepped back and held up a small sheet.

Sasuke took it and noted Naoyuki's perfect scores. "I'm proud of you, would you like to pick what we have for dinner?"

"Curry!" Naoyuki's arms raised straight up in the air before he looked toward Sasuke. "Dad, kneel down."

Sasuke blinked and he looked at the boy, "I beg your pardon?" the boy could be so demanding, just like Naruto sometimes.

Naoyuki rolled his eyes, "Please?"

Sasuke knelt with the slightest smirk before Naoyuki climbed on his back. "I'm not a taxi service," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, and you're not a dish towel, or a foot warmer, and you're not a personal chef and all that stuff…you smell like peppermint," Naoyuki said as he settled with his arms around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Yeah?" Sasuke said, almost rolling his eyes as he walked toward home.

"Mhmm…y'know…" Naoyuki's cheek rested on his shoulder as he hesitated, "Shikamaru drinks peppermint tea," he said.

"That's fascinating," Sasuke said on an exhale, chances are Naruto would pick up on it too, if he didn't do anything about it.

"I wonder if he's forgotten about me," Naoyuki said with a sigh only serving to make Sasuke even more uncomfortable.

"With how loud you are? I think the entire village can hear you yelling at that damned dog," Sasuke said.

"He has a name, and I don't yell at him, we have fun…I hope he hasn't."

Sasuke's eyes were half lidded as he saw the door to their house. He should reassure the boy, because there were echoes of Naoyuki in the Nara's house, pictures and plants that required far more attention than the man would probably want to give. But then he'd have to admit he had gone for help, and Sasuke was far from dependant. "Go wash up, we're going to get started right away," Sasuke said, kneeling down so Naoyuki could run off into the house. The boy didn't though. Instead he stood there beside Sasuke looking up at him as if he knew that Sasuke had somehow made a bad decision. Those blue eyes almost ripped the confession from him.

"You think dad's going to eat with us tonight?" Naoyuki asked quietly.

"He might, now, go wash up," Sasuke said urging the boy with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"'kay," Naoyuki said as he walked inside the house, shedding pieces of clothing as he went.

Sasuke would usually scold the boy but he let it slide for today. Once his shoes had been slipped off he moved to the bedroom where he found Naruto laying on the bed. It wasn't at all unexpected, it was exactly where he had left the blonde. Sasuke could see through Naruto though, he wasn't sleeping when he left and he wasn't sleeping now. He walked in and he sat on his half of the bed, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder the breathed in slowly. "Naoyuki's asking if you'll eat with us tonight," Sasuke said, trying to appeal to any part of Naruto that was still a parent.

"I'm not really hungry," Naruto said twisting until he was looking at Sasuke.

"You've lost some weight, Naruto," Sasuke said. "You know Sakura is going to wring your neck when we go in again."

"I'm allowed to lose weight," Naruto rolled his eyes. There was a brief pause where Sasuke was going to argue but Naruto spoke again, "Why do you smell like peppermint?"

"I can make you something mild," Sasuke offered, completely ignoring that question no matter how aggravated it made him.

Naruto looked at him for a long moment, "Eggs?"

Sasuke nodded quietly, "Sure, Naoyuki will come get you when everything's done okay?"

"'kay," Naruto murmured quietly but before Sasuke could move he felt Naruto prodding at his side. He had to fight not to flinch at the ticklish sensation before he turned around.

"Yes?"

"An omelette maybe?"

"Of course,"

"On top of rice?" Naruto almost sounded like a child.

"I'll see what I can do," Sasuke said, a smile starting to tug at the corners of his lips before he finally made it out of the bedroom to find Naoyuki already pulling things out.

The night went better than Sasuke hoped it would, Naruto was actually sociable congratulating Naoyuki on his good grades. Even though Naoyuki was out of Academy classes for a month, Naruto had insisted that Naoyuki go to bed at his usual time, any fight the boy put up was shot down firmly by Sasuke. They were eventually left on their own, seated outside as they often were. Naruto's legs were hanging over the edge and he was looking up at the sky his head tipped looking almost peaceful that Sasuke really didn't want to ruin the moment. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the lower half of the railing. "It's nice and cool tonight," Naruto said on a sigh, a small smile on his face.

Sasuke nodded quietly and it seemed like Naruto was going to say something else but Sasuke spoke up, "Naoyuki wants to go swimming tomorrow, I mean, we don't have to go, but maybe we should go for a walk?" he suggested.

"Hm, I was really thinking about doing some light gardening tomorrow," Naruto said resting his cheek on his already folded arms over the railing.

"Maybe we could go out to dinner instead? Or lunch…there's a woman who owns the restaurant about three streets toward the academy, she keeps asking where you've been hiding," he kept his voice level.

"Sasuke, first off, chances are it smells nauseating in there…" which might have been true, Naruto's sense of smell seemed to be limiting what they ate in the house more and more, "Second, you're a grown ass man, if you have something to say just say it," he said. He didn't sound angry, but Sasuke knew that could all change very quickly.

"You never go out at all, and I understand that you don't want to but I'm more concerned as to why," Sasuke said softly.

Naruto sighed and didn't really move. "This again, hm?" Naruto said lifting his head to look back up at the sky and Sasuke could see his Adams apple dip.

"You can tell me to go away as often as you like—"

"—But you're persistent as hell," Naruto finished with a nod and Sasuke merely grunted. They were quiet for a moment, the fact that Naruto wasn't yelling at him was possibly a good sign, but Sasuke hadn't experienced it yet so he wasn't sure. "Look, Sasuke…sometimes I really want to be out there and doing things and be hanging out with the guys and all that good stuff…but at the same time I really don't want to be out there doing things and be hanging out with the guys and all that stuff…"

"You're not making any sense," Sasuke said flatly.

"It's hard okay? It's hard being out there and having everybody staring at you like you're some kind of freak. I mean have you ever walked around and had people staring at you like you had an elephant nose growing out the side of your head? When I'm home, I'm in a safe place…for the most part. Sometimes I wish that I could just go out there, and not care if people saw what they want to see, if they just glanced by and saw some pregnant chick because they aren't really looking at me, but that's not going to happen. Everyone here knows who I am, and most people know about Naoyuki to some degree but at the same time…they don't get what I am, and more than half the time I'm some weird spectacle."

"Are you complaining that you're too famous to be pregnant?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"You can be real jerk, you know that right? Besides, you're the one who asked," Naruto muttered and looked in the opposite direction of Sasuke.

Sasuke sucked in a breath and thought about it for a moment, "Why isn't it enough that this isn't just a state of being, and at the end you'll have another child. Shouldn't it be enough?"

Naruto let out a soft laugh that sounded more like a weak snort, "Why isn't anything ever enough? I don't know Sasuke. I don't like it, I don't like being pregnant, it's really as simple as that. It only makes it worse when people invite themselves over and then yatter on about nothing but the pregnancy itself, or poke fun at me for it, or won't get their damn hands off me. It's like, I always have to think about being this weird thing who always has a headache, or a backache, or sleeps too much, or can't sleep, or is throwing up all the time…"

Sasuke almost didn't want to hear any more "Do you…not want—"

"—I do want her…or him, or whoever it is Sasuke…it's why I wouldn't trade going through this for anything, but it's still difficult and I'm an awful person for thinking so," Naruto said resting his head back down.

Sasuke looked at the other man with a furrowed brow. He didn't really know that all of this had been lying under the surface, and even though he was relieved that Naruto was finally talking, he still felt like this wasn't everything. "You're not."

"Try telling something like this to anyone else and I'm pretty sure they'd envision me as the worst parent ever," Naruto muttered.

"You really aren't either of those things," Sasuke tried again. He had shifted, but Naruto didn't seem to notice until he was seated in behind the other man, drawing him close to his chest.

"I don't know why I can't just…get over it," Naruto muttered finally relaxing into Sasuke's hold. "I mean…I love feeling her kick…I love seeing Naoyuki get excited about this, and seeing how happy you are when…I don't know. Why can't I do this?"

Sasuke rested his chin on Naruto's shoulder with his hand over Naruto's stomach and listened to him go on, trying to find anything deeper in what he was saying. "Because you can't hide it, you continuously have to confront it without warning," Sasuke said with a frown on his face. "You know, I think back…I remember when we were in wave country more vividly than a lot of things. I remember you yelling at that boy—"

"—Inari," Naruto said fondly, and Sasuke recalled briefly a picture of the old man and the young boy on one of the walls, but damned if he could remember which wall.

"Inari…about not sitting around and crying all day. You never once told him what type of life you'd lived; in fact, it is absolutely your choice to tell anyone whether or not you had lived normally. Being a vessel more of the same…I don't know how you handled finding out, but even when the nine tails reared its head, anyone who hadn't lived through the previous attack would have had no idea unless you chose to tell them. You're so used to hiding your problems away with some front, and pretending things are better until they are. You don't have that option right now and maybe you don't know how to handle it," Sasuke said, amazed Naruto stayed quiet the entire time.

"Are you suggesting that everything I am is fake?" Naruto muttered.

"I don't think that at all. You push your problems away with another part of you, a more dominant part in hopes that everything else will recess." Sasuke said carefully.

"You must think I'm pretty pathetic and irritating…" Naruto said, his voice sounding deep in thought.

"I don't think pregnancy is considered an easy thing by anyone's standards. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant, so maybe you should stop with the self-pity."

"Did you just call me ignorant, jerk?" Naruto said pinching Sasuke's wrist.

"That isn't even remotely what I said, moron," Sasuke said, not being able to help a small chuckle. "Is this why you won't let anyone in the house? If you leave it any longer, Iruka's going to break our door in," may as well stay on topic while Naruto was willing.

"I guess…I mean…Sakura's fine, she's a mom she gets that I might need to talk about something else sometimes," Naruto said with a heavy sigh.

"I understand…Naruto, you might not be sitting around crying and starring in your own tragedy, and you might think that's fine because you're trying to move past it…but it's probably not helping, not talking about it, or having some way to work through it. You're not alone anymore."

"Sometimes, it's all I know how to do," Naruto murmured softly.

"That's not all it is, though, is it? You weren't like this last time," he felt Naruto tense and he realized his mistake immediately.

"How the hell would you know that?" Naruto said trying to sit up, but Sasuke kept him there.

"I was worried…" He said quietly and felt Naruto's struggle instantly die. "I asked Iruka if he knew what was wrong…but he said that you were mostly irritable and complained a lot."

"I didn't complain that much," Naruto growled.

"He also said you'd say that," Sasuke said with a slight smirk, but it was only momentary.

"Feh…" Naruto exhaled and Sasuke felt the baby kick just a little bit. "I was worried about other things I guess, because I didn't know what was going to happen. This time, I kind of know what's going on and I knew people would get like this…plus, now most of them want kids so they're a lot more invested in my situation this time. I was really kind of alone last time, I mean aside from Iruka, who moved in to my old apartment almost immediately. That was before he and Kakashi hooked up," Naruto said with a snort.

Sasuke tipped his head and thought about it for a moment, the fact that he hadn't been around was arguably both their fault, but he still felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for it. "That's not all, is it?" Naruto's behaviour was just too far removed for it to be so simple and Sasuke assumed this was more of Naruto trying to hide. Offering a little to Sasuke and hoping it was enough.

"It's late," Naruto said softly.

"That means I'm right," Sasuke said not relinquishing his hold when Naruto tried to push him away.

"Sasuke, can we talk about this some other night?" Naruto whined.

"Another night…" Sasuke agreed. He was briefly wondering if he was above making Naruto promise, but decided that there needed to be limits to the control he seemed to want and forcing promises out of someone who so diligently attempted to keep them was going too far.

Naruto settled down and slumping slightly he rested his head back on Sasuke's shoulder. "It really is a nice night out," Naruto murmured softly.

"It is…Naruto, walk with me tomorrow. We don't have to go far, just to the lake and back and we can go whenever you like," Sasuke asked, hoping.

Naruto grew quiet again and he tipped his head, "Even if it's at night?"

"Even at night," Sasuke assured the blonde.

"Okay," and Sasuke felt another flood of relief wash through him. They stayed there like that for a while, enjoying the cool night breeze and simply didn't speak. Sasuke pressed his lips lightly beneath Naruto's ear and was surprised when he felt Naruto sigh in response. He pressed another one farther down and heard a small hum as Naruto's head tipped to the side and he continued on until he was able to coax blonde's head to the side to catch his lips.

"Sasuke, I love you. But that's not enough to convince me to have sex with you out here looking like this," he said once Sasuke's hands had begun to roam over his body.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and his brow quirked upward with visions of Naruto bent over the banister with his cries echoing into the night. "Does that mea—"

"—Does it mean shut up? Yes it does," Naruto said cutting off any potentially lewd comments from the other man.

"Tch, fine," Sasuke muttered as he pressed another kiss to Naruto's lips before trailing down his neck.

"Sasuke," Naruto murmured in a warning tone.

"Fine," he said with a heavy breath and he moved to stand, helping Naruto up right after.

"I think I want to sleep," Naruto said stretching. Sasuke nodded in response and followed him inside, hoping that in a day or so he'd have a little more luck getting answers out of the other man. It only made him more anxious when a sudden jolt from Naruto later that night woke him to reveal Naruto suffering from another nightmare. Petting through his hair gently, he managed to soothe the blonde without waking him, but it left him sleepless throughout the rest of the night.

* * *

There were still a few days before Naruto's next appointment with Sakura. Now that they were back on good terms, she was a good replacement for Karin, whom Naruto still refused to talk to. Naruto had finally managed to make it past the garden walls, and when he and Sasuke stepped out, it was a peaceful walk. It wasn't something that Naruto had ever envisioned Sasuke participating in. He was a little grateful for the surprise, even though it was Sasuke who had to convince him to go out two days later.

"Is it so bad?" Sasuke asked as they made their way casually toward the lake.

Naruto tipped his head and looked around before answering, "Not right now it isn't," he murmured. His eyes fluttered when he felt Sasuke's fingers link with his loosely. He bit the inside of his lip before he smiled and continued on toward the lake. It was nice though, and he wished that he had more opportunities to feel this way without someone gawking at him weirdly. He thought over his behaviour from the past couple of months and he knew that it was everything less than desirable. It hadn't been easy though, especially with a severe lack of sleep that didn't seem like it was going to go away soon.

"I think we should do this more often," Sasuke mused quietly and as they walked past a fruitful peach tree Sasuke reached up and plucked one. After briefly inspecting it he handed it over to Naruto who gratefully accepted it.

"Thanks," He murmured and simply felt Sasuke's hand squeeze his and he felt like he couldn't breathe out for a good minute. He smiled and fought the urge to lean into the other man as he thought. He recalled the stares he had gotten the last time he had to talk to Tsunade, he heard a few choice words about how strange he was and it was a part of his life he didn't want to experience again. It might have been different if he could do anything about it, but in his current state he was almost useless. He had no use of Kurama, even if the fox had wanted to help every bit of concentration was going toward keeping Naruto's body stable enough to sustain a child. It didn't help that his own reserves were being tapped into for the process and the fact that for some reason no one could seem to explain to him his chakra control was worse than he was a child. It had been fine in the beginning but as his body adjusted more and more to the child his control was so irregular it was almost frightening. If anyone decided to give him any trouble, there would likely be nothing he could do. It was the only comfort of having those bastards who tried to hurt his son behind bars. They wouldn't be making another attack, and it was just one less thing Naruto had to worry about was protecting both his children. Sasuke might understand that, but even if Sasuke knew about his chakra situation among other things, he hadn't made the connection that Naruto wasn't just vulnerable to Sasuke as he had always been. Naruto was vulnerable to everything, he tried to convince himself that was why he had such a hard time whenever Sasuke left. He was forced so completely to rely on the other man, he had felt vaguely the same when he was carrying Naoyuki but without the added insecurity that he refused to admit Sasuke made him feel. He really wanted to avoid talking about it as long as possible. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?" Sasuke was already half way through a peach he had plucked for himself whereas Naruto had only been turning his in his hand.

"…Nothing," Naruto said with a breath and took a bite of his peach. "We should pick some cherries and peaches from home, they should be ready too," Naruto said.

"You sure?" Sasuke said, and even though Naruto wasn't looking at the man he could picture his elegant eyebrow raised up.

"Hell yes, I love both those things," Naruto said with a grin.

"You know that's not what I meant," Sasuke said, sounding irritated as they neared the lake where Naoyuki had run ahead to. The boy was at the end of the dock tossing a hand full off rocks one at a time into the water, disturbing the surface.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath before he took another bite. "I'm sorry…you have to put up with me right now. I know it doesn't really seem like I'm in any sort of a good way, but you make me happy Sasuke," He murmured while rubbing the back of his neck.

Sasuke didn't say anything, he stopped instead. He was holding Naruto's hand which forced the blonde to a stop as well. Looking over to Sasuke he tipped his head and he swallowed. Sasuke needed to know that, because their next talk wasn't going to be pleasant. "Moron…It's not like that," he said after a while assuring Naruto he wasn't something to be dealt with. Sasuke pushed Naruto's bangs up to press his lips to Naruto's bare forehead.

Naruto laughed softly, the grin that stretched across his face stayed there until well after Sasuke tugged him forward again. Even if Sasuke was lying, he did feel better. "Sakura was talking to me a few days ago about something she overheard when she was hanging out with the old bag."

"Hanging out?" Sasuke muttered as they reached the stairs down to the dock and the grip on his hand grew more supportive as he took a step down.

"Work, hangout, whatever," Naruto waved his hand before he took another bite from the peach. "It seems that there are council members suggesting a death penalty."

"Hn…good," Sasuke mumbled as they made it to the bottom without any issue. Naruto was so caught up in the discussion he didn't stop to think of the fact that Sasuke was treating him too gently for his taste. Then again, he might have just been touched that Sasuke was so concerned. It was hard to tell sometimes what he might feel. It was just as frustrating to him as he imagined it was for Sasuke, because he didn't always realize what he was saying until it was already out in the open.

"Well, the sentencing isn't going to happen for a while. Probably something next year, so unless something happens to him he's going to be alive at least that long," Naruto said as his foot hit the dock.

"That's a shame," Sasuke muttered. "If it were up to me, he'd be dead already," Sasuke said, uncaring of how he might sound.

"Well, I have a feeling that they're going to rule in favour of death," Naruto said calmly, he wasn't even sure how he felt about the notion of death as a punishment. Sure he had killed people, seen people die, but it was often in the heat of unpredictable battle. Regardless of who might have deserved it or not, each of those lives stayed with him even now.

"What?" Naoyuki was peeking over his shoulder before he slowly turned. His brow was furrowed and the stones that he had gathered on the way to the lake rattled against the wooden panels as the boy dropped them.

"It's nothing, Naoyuki," Naruto said with a small smile trying to reassure the boy. Apparently the argument was that the people had posed threats to many more people than Naoyuki.

"No, I heard you," Naoyuki ran forward and grasped onto Naruto's arm almost too tightly. "Is it true?" He asked.

Naruto's brows raised and he looked up. The look he shared with Sasuke was one of mild desperation as he tried to search for a way to put everything. "It's only a possibility, it's not for certain," Naruto said quietly. He was unsure of which way Naoyuki was going to take this.

"No! That's not right," Naoyuki said, his brow furrowed and Naruto winced at how tightly Naoyuki gripped his arm, and how his nails pinched his skin to the point of bleeding.

"Naoyuki, calm down," Sasuke said, but his voice was a little harsh as he reached down and gently pried his fingers away. Naruto took his wrist back and rubbed at it briefly, but he wasn't paying nearly as much attention to it as Sasuke was.

"Naoyuki, come on let's sit down," he said calmly, placing his other hand down on Naoyuki's hair. His feet were a little sore so he was relieved when Naoyuki agreed. Naruto moved to the edge and he awkwardly at down before slipping his shoes off to dip them in the water. "Tell me what's wrong," Naruto said.

Naoyuki bit the inside of his cheek to the point that it was obvious and he moved forward to sit down with Sasuke sitting beside them. Naruto could practically hear his annoyance at the situation, but decided to ignore him. "I don't want that…I don't want them to kill him," he said nervously.

"Is that so?" Naruto asked with a small frown. From what Sasuke had told him, he understood that Naoyuki had planned to get back at them the first time he attempted to run away after the attack. This response was in no way expected to him.

"I don't want someone to die because of me," He said, picking up a fallen stone and he tossed it as far as he could.

"He would deserve it," Sasuke said off handedly and Naruto elbowed him beneath the ribs forcing a grunt from the other man.

"What if you did something bad enough that they wanted to kill you?" Naoyuki said quietly. "Then we never would have met properly…he must be important to someone," Nao was looking down at his lap at this point and Naruto could hear that Sasuke's breathing had all but ceased.

"Are you sure?" Naruto said. He knew Naoyuki was by the way he sounded, but it was the only thing he could think to say.

"Yeah…I think about it a lot and I don't know why he did it. It shouldn't be up to people who don't know him," he said softly. "Please dad…"

"Baby, I don't have control over this," Naruto said quietly. He might have some sway, but for right now the most he did was a little paperwork when it was delivered to the door. He didn't sit in on meetings, or hang around with Tsunade all day as practice.

"But you can say something, right?" Naoyuki said, "Please?"

Naruto watched the boy, and he briefly looked to Sasuke who seemed shaken as well. Sucking in a breath he grasped Sasuke's hand and held it tightly before using his free hand to brush Naoyuki's hair back. "Naoyuki…I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do, understand?"

Naoyuki looked up at him and with a brow that the boy couldn't seem to unwrinkled he wrapped his arms around Naruto's torso. It wasn't the way Shinobi carried themselves, though the definition had been changing with each new generation and growing more broad. He knew that one day Naoyuki would have to be told what profession he was getting into, and give him a chance to leave it because truly, he was soft hearted. Naruto loved that about the boy, he had always claimed he didn't care what Naoyuki wished to do as long as he wanted to. He'd stick by that. "Thanks dad," Naoyuki murmured softly.

"No worries, kiddo," Naruto said with a smile and he leaned over a little awkwardly to press a kiss to the top of Naoyuki's head.

"Can I go in?" Naoyuki asked hoisting himself up onto his feet with a slight bounce. It would seem the entire conversation had been forgotten.

Naruto's brow rose and with a soft chuckle he spared a brief glance to Sasuke, "I don't see why not," Naruto said.

"Yes!" Naoyuki said and within seconds his shirt was flung backward, and so clumsily that it landed in the water anyway. The boy didn't notice though, because he was already jumping into the water, effectively splashing both Naruto and Sasuke.

"I got it," Sasuke said as he got up and fished Naoyuki's shirt out of the water with a sigh.

"You're not like him, Sasuke," Naruto said resting back on one arm because his back was starting to ache.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke mumbled.

"You were gripping my hand so tightly I think I might have broken something," Naruto said as he looked back out at the water where Naoyuki was busy trying to dive to the bottom.

"I don't think of things the way Naoyuki does," Sasuke said simply. "That, and I'm not looking forward to him finding out what I've done," Sasuke said quietly. He walked until he was standing beside Naruto, but he didn't sit again.

"He's not going to let it change your relationship with him, he might say some things but he's not going to stop loving you," Naruto said calmly.

"You don't know that," Sasuke mumbled.

"There aren't many people who changed how they care about you Sasuke. I don't make anybody talk to you when you came back, they wanted to," He might have been critical, specifically with Sakura but he had never even talked to anyone about interacting with Sasuke.

"I'm flattered," Sasuke mumbled.

"Che, you'll see," Naruto said before resting a hand on his stomach where he felt the telltale signs of movement from the baby. "Man, I want to go swimming," Naruto pouted.

"I don't see why you can't," Sasuke said.

Naruto sucked in a heavy breath and rested on both his hands now. "Nah…" he said thinking quietly to himself. It would require him taking his shirt off, and he wasn't really in any mood to do that. Especially not out in public, he looked so awkward all the time. "You might have to go in and get him though," Naruto said with a smirk, getting a sudden urge.

"Touch me, and you'll regret it," Sasuke muttered, seemingly seeing through his plan.

"Tch, you wouldn't," he didn't know what Sasuke was threatening really.

"Not right now, but I would after."

Naruto's brow rose when it registered that his punishment would be months away. "Fiiine," Naruto said with an exasperated sigh, but it was a simple cover before a firm hand on Sasuke's ass shoved him forward into the water with a heavy splash.

Naruto was laughing when Sasuke came up for air with a controlled breath. Naoyuki was too far off to be heard, but Naruto had a feeling he was probably amused. "You, are going to pay for this Uzumaki," Sasuke growled as he waded toward the dock and grabbed a hold of Naruto's legs.

"Whoa, nonono! None of that you jerk!" Naruto said trying to lift his legs back but Sasuke didn't keep them for long before he was reaching for the edge to hoist himself up.

"I'm not the jerk here," Sasuke said, his tone sounded dangerous and Naruto couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with how sensual Sasuke looked and sounded regardless of being angry.

"Sasuke, I'm warning you," Naruto said as he inched back as Sasuke crawled toward him, and Naruto had to remind himself that his son was swimming not far enough away for the thoughts going through his head.

"I'm terrified," Sasuke said, his voice was deep and before Naruto could attempt to get up Sasuke had him in an embrace that completely soaked him from head to toe.

"Sasuke! You jerk!" Naruto laughed though, because Sasuke chose that moment to tickle along his sides. "Cut it out!" Naruto's hand pushed at Sasuke's face as he squirmed but Sasuke didn't let up immediately. He could hardly recognize the fact that Sasuke was laughing as well.

"Well you officially ruined my fun," Naoyuki mumbled as he slowly swam his way past them, heading toward the shore and Naruto couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh. "You guys suck," He muttered and Naruto chose to let it go.

"That's just the start of it," Sasuke breathed against his ear before Sasuke caught his lips and then stood up and began wringing out his shirt before reaching down to help Naruto up.

"I'll believe it when I see ieaaargh!" Naruto slapped Sasuke's hand when he poked him again, "Naoyuki's right, you do suck," Naruto stuck his tongue out and was only graced with a smirk from the other man. Naruto chose to turn around than see if he had anything more to say in relation. Naruto began to wring the water from his shirt too and he chuckled to himself, "At least it's not as hot out now," Naruto said absent mindedly as he grabbed Naoyuki's discarded shirt and headed back toward the house.

"Sure," Sasuke said with a hum and once they reached the stairs he gave Naruto a pointed glare when the blonde slapped at his hands again for trying to help.

"I'm not invalid," Naruto said with a frown.

"Maybe not physically," Sasuke said.

"Uncalled for!" Naruto exclaimed as he reached the top of the stairs, ignoring the fact that he was just the slightest out of breath.

Sasuke just let out a low laugh and set on after Naoyuki who was dragging water across the road back to their home. "If you say so," the smile stayed on his face.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said and waited for Sasuke to look at him. The smile had faded from his face, but the relaxation hadn't. He was a little overwhelmed with how happy Sasuke sounded, "I like it when you smile," He said.

Sasuke's eyes widened a moment before his lip twitched, "Hn, moron," He said. Naruto was sure there was another tug of his lips as they continued on home.

* * *

After they had gotten home Naruto had promptly set Naoyuki up for a bath and sent him off to bed. He and Sasuke went about their business and after a brief shower he dried off and rested in their bed. Sasuke came in only moments later and without even looking at Naruto, sat on the bed with a book in hand. He leaned against his pillow and it was clear he was deeply immersed in his reading. Naruto yawned and when he moved to turn he let out a soft groan.

"You feel alright?" Sasuke asked, putting the book down briefly.

"Mn, my hips and knees hurt," Naruto muttered into his pillow. He didn't really like to admit that a simple 20 minute walk could have him this out of it.

"We weren't out for that long," Sasuke said in confusion.

Naruto just buried his face more in the pillow and let out a frustrated noise before he came back up for air. "I know that…" Naruto said with a pout.

"The day is over though," Sasuke said as he picked up his book again and continued to read.

Naruto watched him through his lashes for a moment and let out a heavy sigh, realizing that Sasuke's dismissal was probably normal but it bummed him out a little bit especially when he had done as Sasuke wanted. "We should pick the fruit trees tomorrow," Naruto murmured before he rolled over onto his other side.

"Mn, you said as much earlier," Sasuke said and Naruto gave up and closed his eyes hoping that he'd be able to sleep tonight without any difficulties.

He was drifting off to sleep within record time but it didn't continue that way. His dreams had grown far more vivid than they had ever been. Normally he'd dream of things like travelling, of goofing off, or things that were generally fantastical. Lately he had constant dreams of Sasuke. Tonight he was in a black world, the only focal point was Sasuke. His face was disinterested and after a long moment the raven turned and began to walk. His pace was slow, the constant thud of his sandals echoed throughout this limbo. Naruto tried to move, but he couldn't, he tried to speak but anything he might have said faded out of existence and Sasuke didn't seem to care. Out of almost all the nightmares he had been having recently, this solitude and the prospect of Sasuke leaving he considered one of the worst.

He woke with a heavy breath and he sat up with a little trouble and placed his hand on his forehead. It was seconds before he looked beside him where Sasuke was laying on his side, facing Naruto. He was still here but the panic in Naruto's body refused to seep away. He knew Sasuke was here, if he didn't want to be then nothing Naruto did, nothing the council did would stop him. Sasuke was not idle, when he knew what he wanted he set his plans in motion as soon as he was able.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke's deep voice filled the room and Naruto jumped a little.

"Bad dream…" He said, his voice was raspier than normal.

"Another one?" Sasuke sat up and pushed his hair out of his face before he looked Naruto over. The blonde watched him as quietly as the other watched him. Sasuke was here, he was here and he would likely be here for the rest of their days. He had no doubt, but these dreams shook him no matter of that.

"Yeah," He murmured and he laid back, his eyes not straying from Sasuke.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto bit the inside of his lip. Normally Sasuke would demand to hear about it, this seemed a lot more reserved and it made Naruto feel better.

"No," Naruto said honestly. Sasuke wouldn't understand that Naruto's belief and trust in him were not related to the dreams.

"Hn…" Sasuke reached forward and he began to gently knead the muscles of Naruto's legs quietly. "Is it something that happened already?" Sasuke asked and Naruto almost groaned because the tender touch on his aching muscles was glorious.

"Not exactly," Naruto admitted quietly.

"You really don't want to talk about it, hm?" Sasuke said, moving over to his other leg, lifting it as he went down toward his ankle. Sasuke pressed his lips to the side of Naruto's knee and the blonde let out a heavy breath.

"Just boring and nonsensical stuff," Naruto murmured, his eyes slid shut and he felt some sort of relief go through him at the reaffirmation that Sasuke was here, and that he cared. Sasuke loved him, he had said as much.

"Nonsensical, that seems in keeping with you," Sasuke said with a snort as he continued to massage his legs gently. He moved slowly up his thighs and Naruto's thoughts briefly went back to the way Sasuke had looked and sounded before at the lake.

"Buttons," Naruto muttered in response to that, and it caused confusion in Sasuke for a very brief moment before he realized that Naruto was just spouting nonsense.

"Moron," He muttered and his hands stilled but didn't move away.

Naruto rested the back of his hand on his forehead and let out a heavy breath. It was warm that night, and he could feel the residual ache of their walk, but even just those few words had him feeling calm regardless of all of that and the odd nightmare he had. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Kiss me?" Naruto asked, his lashes fluttering against his cheek briefly. Maybe he didn't want to sit up because his back ached along with his hips, maybe it was because he was lazy. Sasuke snorted again but he leaned over, one hand remaining on his thigh while the other supported Sasuke's weight as he caught his lips. Maybe it was because Naruto wanted one last reaffirmation.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Sasuke asked, their lips touched as he spoke.

"I feel much better now," Naruto said honestly. He didn't want to keep this from Sasuke, but he didn't know how to tell him either, he couldn't find the words. He was afraid if he did, they wouldn't be the same.

"If you're sure," Sasuke said as he laid back.

Naruto provided a small smile and turning on his side a bit more he reached forward and grasped Sasuke's hand before it slipped from his thigh completely. Linking the tips of their fingers he closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. "Night, Sasuke," he murmured, not moving his hands.

Sasuke was quiet for a long time but didn't move from Naruto's grasp. He shifted a little and after a long period of time he heard the man speak, "Good night."

* * *

Two weeks later at week 27 Naruto woke he found himself with a searing pain in his head. He let out a groan and opened his eyes and wasn't happy to see it was so dark out. "Sasuke…" He mumbled and he reached for the lamp but couldn't seem to find it and he wound up cursing instead. "Sasuke, turn on your light…I have the mother of all headaches…"

"Naruto…" He heard Sasuke's voice and the silence that followed seem to be so cool. "Naruto, it's daylight out…"

Naruto was quiet for a moment and he moved to sit up and Sasuke was at his side immediately, his hands on his face. Naruto felt a little tripped out that he couldn't see anything or really sense anything at the moment. "Sasuke…not to alarm you, but I think I might need to go in," He said, his mouth completely dry.

"Fuck," Sasuke's voice came out harshly and it was probably the reaction he wasn't looking for.

Once they were finally at the hospital, Sakura was fortunately able to come in and look him over. They had gone through various tests that Naruto was mildly familiar with, but years between these sorts of examinations had him a little foggy on what to do. For the most part he just did what Sakura said and hoped that she didn't smack him upside the head for not paying proper attention.

They were brought back in the next day after the prolonged tests had been completed. Sakura sat in front of Naruto and more or less got straight down to business. "I have some good news and bad news,"

Naruto was watching her, his vision had come back within ten minutes the day before to which both he and Sasuke were relieved. He sat on the table awkwardly and he huffed, "Good news first," He mumbled and Sasuke seemed to twitch a little at having to wait, especially after having to wait an entire day to hear back. He had been nearly outrageously moody the entire night.

"Your vision loss was brought on by a migraine. Your blood pressure is looking good and has been good since the beginning. I have no suspicions of any onset of more alarming conditions…for the most part. Bad news is, you are carrying deep paired with a lower rate of growth makes for how small you are, but I'm going to have to call it. We're a little early than a typical growth scan, but I feel that it's a good idea to monitor it closely since you're measuring in the 5th percentile. It is a better rate than your previous pregnancy around this time," She said calmly looking at a clip board in her hand. "Regardless of that, I'm going to place you on bed rest, you can do simple things, having a shower, grabbing a quick bite to eat but anything more than that is inadvisable, which includes sex," Her eyes flicked to Sasuke when she said the last part.

Naruto shifted his jaw and he let out a heavy breath. He was waiting for this to happen, but one brief glance toward Sasuke showed that he was a little shaken. "So basically, lots of sleep and whatever?" She was throwing around a lot of words he didn't really get, especially when she began talking with all the medical terms. Sasuke was paying attention as diligently as expected though.

"Pretty well, hopefully with you taking it easy along with everything else you've been doing right it will provide optimal conditions for the baby to grow," She said with a small smile.

"Soooo…no gardening?"

"No gardening," She confirmed with a nod.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and he rubbed the back of his neck, "Well this is going to suck…" He muttered.

"Really, gardening is the one you're upset about?" her brow raised and she looked between the two who promptly looked elsewhere.

"Shut up," Naruto mumbled with a pout before he sat up a little straighter. "So can we go now? We've been here forever and I'm pretty sure Naoyuki's going to get panicked if we take any longer. Iruka's probably not doing any better," He said momentarily rethinking who he asked to watch Naoyuki in emergencies.

"We'll monitor the growth rate weekly. If things don't improve we may have to discuss early delivery, which reminds me, the next time I see you I'll have a solid date for you,"

"Mn, I forgot about that," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine, fine, we'll talk next week. Actually, before you go…Hey Sasuke, do you mind giving us a moment alone? Gotta talk official Hokage stuff, nothing too extravagant I promise!" She said, her smile was bright and cheery as she waved a hand casually in front of her face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed but he simply stood and stepped outside without a word.

"Uh…what's the old bag want?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, this has nothing to do with official business… I just wanted to say. I don't think he wanted me to tell you this, but I bumped into Shikamaru yesterday and we started talking. Well, he ended up telling me that Sasuke showed up at his place."

"And he's still alive?" Naruto asked, suddenly worried.

"Clearly, anyway, he said that Sasuke showed up at his place asking about you, and whether your behaviour was normal. I thought you might want to know," Naruto's eyes narrowed, Sasuke was a little liar. He realized now why Sasuke had come home smelling like peppermint the other day. His anger was a little short lived when he thought about the circumstances of everything.

"Shikamaru doesn't really gossip though…if he told you that, then he knew you were going to tell me anyway. He probably told you just so you'd tell me. He's good at thinking like a billion steps ahead of everyone. Congratulations, you're a certified Nara tool," Naruto said with a slight chuckle, a little touched that Shikamaru was still kind of looking out for him.

"Did you just call me a tool?" Sakura grumped.

"Be mad at Shika, not at me! Besides, not like I don't know what that's like! We're all just victims here!" He frowned. Shikamaru used to do it to him all the time.

"Anyway, that was it really. Remember, if anything changes you call me, I can make a house visit when necessary. If you have no questions then you can head on home," she said with a smile as she opened the door for him.

They arrived home some time later having to arrange for some sort of cart which basically made Naruto feel even worse. Once they were home Sasuke made sure that Iruka left him alone until he settled a bit better.

"But he's my dad!" Naoyuki said with a frown, obviously a little panicked.

"He's fine, just give him some air okay? I'll be right back to get you," He heard Sasuke say, which was strange to Naruto until Sasuke showed up inside the room. He walked over and he sat down on the edge of the bed. Before Naruto could say anything Sasuke's body was pressed against his back, his arms around him firmly.

"What are you doing?" Naruto's eyes were wide as he looked over his shoulder at the other man who simply pulled him a little closer.

"Quiet," Sasuke said and he breathed in deeply. They stayed like that for a little while and Naruto's brow furrowed.

"You know…this isn't entirely out of the normal. It happens to women all the time, she may just be small," He said.

"If you're on bed rest you shouldn't take it lightly," Sasuke grumped at him and Naruto let out a soft sigh.

"I'm not, but I'm not going to discount everything getting better, and neither should you," Naruto said finally resting his arms over top of Sasuke's. It was just proof…if Sasuke could let go of his pride long enough to go talk with Shikamaru for his wellbeing, he must be really worried about him.

"Can't you just be quiet and just let me hold you?" Sasuke asked, but it didn't really sound like a question. Naruto was about to continue bickering with him but there was a note in his voice and a voice in the back of his head that kept him from doing anything other than relaxing into Sasuke's embrace.

"You made me stay out there just so you could hog dad? Rude," Naoyuki's voice sounded from the doorway and he ran over to the edge of the bed before he climbed up. "Are you okay?" Naoyuki asked firmly pushing at Sasuke's arms to dislodge him.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath and he managed a smile. "Just gotta take it easy for a bit kiddo. A couple weeks in bed and I'm going to be fine," He said as he felt Naoyuki crawl closer for a hug.

"Then why's he acting all weird," Naoyuki said looking at Sasuke.

"Hey, can you go and grab Grandpa for me?" Naruto asked with a smile.

"'Kay," He said sliding back off the bed, but his eyes were on Sasuke, almost warily, but the diversion had worked.

"He's got as much tact as you," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto rolled his eyes and he rested his head on his arm. "No, he just loves me that much. Besides, we can't all have your stunning social skills," Naruto said with a grin. "Now, do you care if Iruka finds you in such a cuddly mood or do you want to clear off?"

"Hn, I don't cuddle," Sasuke sat up though, but gave Naruto one thoughtful look over his shoulder before he stood up.

"Sasuke, can you bring some scrolls in for me from my study?" He asked.

"The fact that you have a study, no matter how small of a closet it is, frightens me…" Sasuke said.

"I think you mean impresses you, jerk," Naruto muttered.

"If it helps you sleep at night, sure," Sasuke grew quiet after that and simply walked out.

Naruto sighed and he rested his arm over his forehead. Sasuke had realized what he said and ran off. He was back to thinking about the fact that he had gone to Shikamaru's. He knew they were going to talk about it…if Sasuke was this worried he figured that he might be able to say something soon, but they needed some privacy before that could happen.

"You done being a spoiled brat?" Iruka said when he stepped inside. He sat down at the edge of the bed and Naruto looked up at the ceiling.

"I guess so," Naruto said softly thinking over all the shit he was trying to sort through in his head. He probably was acting that way. "I was going to invite you over for dinner, but I don't think it'd be too comfortable all up in this room," Naruto said with a small laugh.

"More like your guard dog would chase everyone out of here," Iruka said.

"Which one? I think I have two," He said with a laugh as Naoyuki stepped inside and crawled up onto the bed with a couple of scrolls.

"Here," He said and he placed them carefully on the night stand.

"Thank you, Naoyuki," Naruto said with a smile.

"Both," Iruka clarified with a chuckle of his own.

"Well…I'm probably going to go pretty insane, so if you're up for dealing with me…y'know you guys can come over any time," Naruto said with a smile.

They stayed and talked for a while and agreed that Iruka would show up more often and Naruto promised that he'd do his best to be up for it. As soon as everything settled down Sasuke was back in the bedroom and back to leaving no space between them. Naruto had quit trying to say anything about it and just let the man stay there with his arms slung over his sides. Sasuke's hands gently caressed along his stomach from time to time and Naruto could feel movement inside of him too. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he was feeling pretty overwhelmed at that feeling. Naruto was lying on his side with a scroll laid out beside him and he was reading casually. He had been stuck in this same place for nearly a year where there was no new information to be had. He had a difficult time paying complete attention to it, but he figured it was okay for now because he had all this time now to be doing nothing but reading all his scrolls, searching for clues on how to unravel years of the Hyuuga's mistreatment of seal work.

"You're going to make full term…" Sasuke said quietly. Had the raven's hand not been continuously moving across his abdomen, Naruto might have thought he was asleep.

"I did with Naoyuki," Naruto said quietly.

"Yeah…I remember you saying so," Sasuke said quietly. "When she was talking about dates?"

"What about it?" Naruto asked and with a calm inhale he began to roll up the scrolls he had been looking through all night in effort not to go insane.

"How does it work?" Sasuke said. They never really talked about the goings on of Naruto's pregnancy, Sasuke often took the standpoint that the method didn't matter so long as both of them were safe. He hadn't needed an explanation when he found out about Naoyuki either, all those months ago.

"She'll be surgically removed," Naruto mused as he tied the second scroll and placed it on the night stand. "Tsunade will be handling it, because it takes Kurama a bit to reinstate himself as my line of healing defense."

"I don't like the sound of that," Sasuke said, his voice was quieter.

"We should be fine," Naruto said. He had made it through it before, he tried not to dwell on things because he knew he had a tendency to get far too consumed in his emotions.

"But there's a possibility?"

"There's a possibility that I could drop dead every single night I fall asleep, you don't see me freaking out about it."

"I don't like it when you take this so lightly."

"Sasuke, I know what this is like. I've been through this before, I apologize but I'm not going to stress myself out over what might not happen. Plus, Kurama knows what to look for this time, there's a few hiccups but believe me, I was on bed rest for the majority of my last pregnancy and I've already spent over half of this one off of it. I'm going to stay optimistic," he said.

"But you decided you weren't going to have any more children," Sasuke said and Naruto let out a heavy sigh because it was true.

"Well, I guess that's just tough for me isn't it? Look, it's not that I never wanted children, or never wanted more. Given the state of my life, and the fact that this entire situation is so abnormal, no, I decided that I wasn't going to. But it happened, and I'm happy about it. Can't I just be happy about it then?" Naruto asked. It was rare that he felt happy about the situation lately, but the outcome did fill him with a sense of excitement.

"Well then, yes, there was a reason then. So I'm not stupid for having my concerns," Sasuke said.

"You're going to worry yourself sick, that's the problem! Look, we're going to make it through this, and if there's a next time, we'll plan ahead and you can have all the information you want if that'll make you more comfortable."

"You think its information I want?"

"Isn't it? You don't like not knowing, and if I had expected anything like this. If we had, we could have planned better so we could stop fighting over every little thing."

"I still don't like the situation," Sasuke said.

"Plenty of people undergo procedures and whatever without my line of defense. Look at Lee, no one ever thought he'd ever be a Shinobi again, and thanks to the old woman he's got a rookie team of his own to annoy him," He chuckled.

"Does he ever get annoyed?" Sasuke muttered and he felt Sasuke's arms close a little tighter around him.

"That's a good question…" Naruto said before placing the last scroll on the night stand and yawned.

"So dates then…" Sasuke said calmly.

"Uh, they usually plan for 39 weeks…so…I'm…uhhhh, shit I know this," Naruto said his brow wrinkled.

"27 weeks," Sasuke said with a snort. "You should know that."

"Bite me, I do know. Just hiccupped is all," Naruto pouted.

"So, that means at the end of October," Sasuke said.

"Mhmm, seems about right," Naruto said.

Sasuke was quiet for a while after that. Naruto was already settling down to sleep when he heard him again. "What if I'm bad at this?"

Naruto's eyes slipped open and he tipped his head. "At the baby thing? We've still got plenty of time to address that sort of thing by the time she gets here,"

"He, and it's not the same as the actual thing," Sasuke said.

Sucking in a breath he thought about it briefly, "Sasuke, I know what I'll be doing. I can help you figure things out, nobody knows right off the bat what to do," Naruto assured the man.

"What if I'm still bad at this?"

"Sasuke…" Naruto rubbed at his eyes. It had been a long day and for once in a long time he was actually ready to sleep and wasn't fussing over what he might dream about. "I promise that you'll be fine. You've always excelled in everything you do, why should this be any different?"

"Hn…" Sasuke somehow managed to draw closer and he didn't say anything after that. Naruto's eyes stayed open and focused toward the window. On the wide ledge there was a picture of Team 7 before Sasuke had defected. He could hear the conflict in Sasuke's voice, he wasn't thinking about how skillful he'd be. Somehow, he was sure that Sasuke was worried that Naruto wouldn't be around, and he'd have to face all of this alone. Naruto wasn't really ready to leave the world, but trying to keep his own doubts at bay to reassure Sasuke was difficult.

When Naruto woke up the next morning there was a bowl beside him divided down the middle. On one side there were four peaches, on the other there was a selection of cherries. Sasuke wasn't in bed, but Naruto could hear him moving around the house and he couldn't help the grin that stretched widely across his face.

* * *

_"Why can't you just let me be!" Sasuke's words slowly faded into silence even though his lips were still moving. Naruto stood wide eyed, his breathing was pounding in his ears before he felt nothing but white hot pain in his shoulder._

_"Sas—"_

_"I told you I wouldn't miss," the words echoed loudly in his ears as he stood up at Sasuke from where he was slumped. His hand was limply around Sasuke's arm piercing his chest and his blade was hanging uselessly at his back. It was becoming harder to breathe as the blood began to fill his lungs. He was helpless, hopeless, and he knew as he watched Sasuke's retreating back what dying felt like._

_"ke…" his vision was growing hazy and in his fruitless attempt to stay conscious his vision went black and all that was left were intermittent flashes of imagery. Sasuke walking, the Uchiha fan spread across his back. Naoyuki was with him, unconcerned as they walked farther away from him and as his head fell forward, the only thing he saw was his free hand on the gentle swell of his stomach as he gasped for breath, drowning in scarlet._

He jumped up from where he was lying down, he was panting heavily. It took a moment of observation to see that he was in his room. He fought to sit up gently, remembering who he was, what he was. His hand closed over his shoulder and he couldn't shake the feeling of blood bubbling up his throat.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke's voice startled him and he swallowed thickly.

"Bad dream," his voice was hoarse as if from disuse. It had been a long time since he had dreamt of Sasuke's arm tearing a hole in his chest, years in fact. It had never been quite this unsettling.

Sasuke's hand touched his shoulder and gently began to squeeze it, but it only made Naruto tenser. "You're shaking..." Sasuke said, his voice showing more worry than before.

"I'm fine…I'll be fine," Naruto said and he reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"You should lay down, or at least let me prop you up," Sasuke said his hand trailing down his back, igniting Naruto's nerves, it spread through his body like wildfire and all he could smell was charcoal.

"Okay…" Naruto whispered.

It was a moment, and he could feel himself returning back to earth until Sasuke's hands on his shoulder gently urged him back. These were the same hands, the exact same ones from the Valley of the End…but it wasn't the same man. There was no way, Naruto already knew that. "What's wrong?" Sasuke tried again. Naruto could tell he was trying to sound gentle, but his voice only allowed for that deep set voice, the vibration of it sounding only enough for Naruto to hear, like his voice was going through him.

"Nothing," Naruto tried. Sasuke didn't want to hear this, he couldn't hear this.

"You're crying…there's something wrong," Sasuke said and Naruto's hands slowly moved to his face and he was met with Sasuke's truth.

"Nothing's wrong…" Naruto said, he was safe, Sasuke was here and Naoyuki was asleep in his bed, their second child was softly fluttering around his stomach showing him that she was safe.

Sasuke looked at him and Naruto's brow furrowed despite all his attempts to remain completely calm. He couldn't control that any more than he could control the fact that there were more tears welling in his eyes. "Lay down with me," Naruto pleaded quietly. He needed to know Sasuke was there, because there was no other way he wanted to exist.

The raven watched him, Naruto was thankful for the moon light that allowed him to watch the other man in return. Sasuke lay down and Naruto reached for him, urging him closer until Sasuke's hand was over his side. He wanted to be closer, he wanted to bury his nose in Sasuke's shoulder, but he was too awkward now. He inhaled him anyhow, that sweet scent of rain, the dampness of the soil…the charcoal was gone and all it was, was Sasuke's scent. "Tell me," Sasuke's voice was growing more desperate each time he spoke.

Naruto shook his head and stayed like that for a moment and the fire began to fade from his shoulder and he began to feel at least a little calmer. "Please…" Naruto's eyes snapped open and he swallowed, Sasuke was begging him and Naruto was brought back to the night he told Sasuke he was going to have another child.

"I dreamt…I dreamt of…" he considered lying. He considered telling Sasuke a number of things that might have made him seem less horrible, but there was a note of growing desperation in Sasuke's voice that kept him from doing so. "I dreamt of you leaving…and leaving me for dead," Naruto whispered.

Any comfort he might have had was gone, Sasuke had pulled back his body was completely rigid. "You what?" There was anger, there was no comfort, no reassurance and Naruto wasn't sure he would have deserved them. "How?"

"Like at the Valley of the End…" Naruto wanted Sasuke close, but even as his hands tried to close around Sasuke's wrists he avoided Naruto's grasp with ease. "But it was like…like the last time."

Sasuke was watching him like he was the traitor, and Naruto tried to come up with anything that might prove that he thought otherwise. "I wouldn't. How could you think I could do that?" Sasuke was definitely angry as he stood from the bed and he began to pace. His hand was hung on the back of his neck and he could practically feel the anger radiating around the room. He could feel tears welling in his eyes again and he shook his head.

"I don't," he insisted.

"Bullshit! You just confirmed it! I knew you had issues with me leaving the house, but all of this? How can we work, if you don't trust me?" Sasuke's voice was rising.

"That's not even an issue!" Naruto knew that dreams could mean nothing at all. He didn't feel this way, if he felt that way he wouldn't have let Sasuke draw him in. That had been his rule. "I love you," Naruto insisted.

"Like that's the only thing we need?" Sasuke seemed like he was going to go on but there was a voice at the door.

"Dad?" it was so small and Naruto moved to sit up properly, he tried to keep whatever remaining tears at bay. There was so much left on the tip of his tongue that needed to be said.

"What is it, baby?" Naruto asked, trying to keep his voice level, hoping it wasn't too bright in the room.

"I can't sleep…" Naoyuki had always had issues sleeping, for a few years now. He was able to sleep through most of the night, but it was rare that the boy ever got a full night. Some nights were worse than others, so much that Sasuke knew about this routine too.

"Come on," Sasuke said, he could hear the tension in the man's voice as he placed a hand at the back of Naoyuki's back. Had it been any other situation, Naruto might have asked Sasuke to stay…but he didn't honestly think that Sasuke would have stayed even if Naoyuki hadn't shown up. It was just his way.

The door shut behind him and a few moments later he heard Sasuke trying to calm the boy down enough to get him to go back to sleep. Naruto's hand fell over his eyes and he let out a very silent sob, and didn't fall asleep again.

Sasuke didn't return either.

**TBC…**

My goodness…

Well, I'm officially free of school for the summer and right into working. There may be another wait between chapters since I have a friend spending a week or so with me. I apologize for another somewhat lengthy wait, but I couldn't write until I felt right about the scene.

Also, can someone teach this fic a lesson, because it keeps getting longer without my permission.

There's going to be a format overhaul eventually to make all the chapters look more uniform, so I apologize that things look a little different, the other chapters will eventually follow suit.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you to everyone who has invested their time in me and this fic!

KoriC


	15. Chapter 14

**Warnings:** Language, Yaoi/Slash, angst, not beta-ed

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine, never for profit.

Chapter 14

The house had grown relatively silent following the brief argument between Sasuke and Naruto. They behaved as they always did when a fight was serious enough that they didn't speak to one another. If Naruto needed anything, Sasuke was there to provide it for him. At night, Sasuke had taken to sleeping on the couch, and part of that was killing the blonde. He had suffered a lot of guilt over his life, often for things he had no control over, over things that were completely his fault, but nothing left him feeling the way he had every time he thought of the look on Sasuke's face when he found out what Naruto's dreams were. It was so similar to the night Sasuke could have killed him if he only had a little more will.

At week 28, Naruto was monitored again with little improvement, but enough that there was no real alarm in Sakura's urging Naruto to continue to take it easy. She appeared to notice the tension between the two, but when she asked, Naruto simply waved it off. He loved Sakura dearly, but it appeared that any discussion around Sasuke's standoffish behaviour would only lead to a fight that Naruto didn't want to deal with. Once they had arrived back home, Naruto would catch Sasuke sneaking small worried glances at him, but the man still refused to speak with Naruto. The blonde honestly couldn't tell whether Sasuke was still angry, or was unsure of how to speak to him. In light of their awkward behaviour, they didn't speak for another week.

Naruto was lying in bed looking over his scrolls, it had become a very common pastime and even though it kept him occupied, staring at the same information over and over again was starting to drive him crazy. He was about to crack when he heard a familiar voice down the hall.

"I'm starting to seriously question whoever made the decision to promote you to Jounin ranks if you can't keep your own mutt out of the hands of a child," Sasuke's voice said clearly not amused.

"Hey…maybe I'm just that good," Naoyuki's voice sounded.

"Maybe one day, kid, and you, shut your face," came Kiba's familiar growl. "Besides, that's not what I'm here for, feel free to give him a bath if you have the time, kid. I heard Blondie was locked up in his room for the time being and I came to save him from your dull self," Kiba said and he.

"What makes you think he needs saving?" Sasuke sounded agitated, but even from where he was he could hear doubt in his voice…which lead him to hope that the man wasn't actually as pissed off with him as he thought.

"Are you kidding me? I probably would have peeled my skin off by now just to keep entertained if I was stuck here with you."

"I could offer you help with that, I promise I won't mind," Sasuke said, his voice completely flat.

"Try it, and see if Naruto will ever talk to you again!" Naruto almost winced at that. It probably wasn't something that Sasuke wanted to hear right now, even though it was mostly Sasuke not talking to him.

"You're not going in there," Sasuke said.

"Controlling much? I'll go in if I please," Kiba said and there was a brief squabble between the two before he heard an irregular foot step pattern. You could always hear one of Sasuke's footsteps more than the other if he wasn't paying attention. Kiba on the other hand hit the floor with his heels so hard, you'd think that there was a giant demon outside.

He ran his fingers through his hair and he moved to sit up on an angle before Kiba made an appearance around the door with a grin on his face. "Oh, Hey Kiba," Naruto said as he shifted until he felt comfortable.

"Hey, man," He said and he walked over and promptly flopped on the bed with familiarity.

Naruto offered a smile, but he could feel how tense he was now that Kiba was in there. Part of him had hoped that Sasuke would have stopped him, he felt a little better knowing that the raven had at least tried. "What are you doing here?"

"Man, it's too damned quiet out there without you around. You need to lay that kid so things can go back to normal, if that kid's anything like your other brat, it'll just get louder out there and that's good. I can't do it all by myself," he said pointing a thumb at himself.

Naruto stared at him with a frown, unpleased with almost everything that Kiba said. "That almost sounded nice," Naruto muttered. "Did you just say I need to lay my kid? Get out," Naruto said with a growl.

"Mmmmn, nah! I'm fine right here," He said as he folded his hands underneath his head.

"I hate you right now," Naruto said.

"Yeah, you'll get over it, you know you love me under all that anger of yours," Kiba actually winked at him and Naruto knew something was up then.

"What do you want?" He frowned.

"What, I can't just come see you? I thought we were friends," He said.

"Out with it Kiba, I can smell the deceit on your breath."

"Fiiiine! Okay, you got it out of me. She made me promise not to tell, but I can't help it," he said as he sat up with a grin, the red marks on his cheeks distorting with how wide it got. "Guess who's going to be a dad?"

"Are you serious?" Naruto said, his eyes wide. "No, you're not messing with me right? That's brilliant!" Naruto said and he felt a well of happiness inside of him that he hadn't felt for what seemed like weeks. "Give me a hug, dumbass!"

"Despite you calling me names, fine," but there was a laugh in Kiba's throat as he leaned forward and hooked an arm around Naruto's shoulder and when they pulled back they both had stupid grins on their faces.

"I'm really happy for you," Naruto said. "Is she going to kill you for telling me?"

"Hinata? No way, you and Shino are probably the only people she would be okay with though, so keep your trap shut."

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.

"Ah, I guess not. What's up anyway? I can smell the tension between you two from a mile away," Kiba admitted with a frown on his face.

Naruto's smile faded and he let out a heavy sigh before he slumped down a little and looked up at the ceiling. He was silent for a little bit, "I dunno…" Naruto said quietly. "We're just not ready yet," He said quietly. "I think that this is as hard on him, if not harder than it is on me and he doesn't handle things he can't control very well," Naruto said quietly. "Don't tell him I told you that," Naruto said.

"When the hell would I tell him? The only thing we ever do is threaten to kill one another," Kiba said.

"Yeah, about that. You're going to have to stop threatening my Uchiha before you get hurt," Naruto said with a grin, just trying not to talk about what was going on, because it was difficult for him, because it was killing him a little bit that Sasuke could hardly look at him, and because it continued to keep him up at night.

"I could take him," Kiba said.

"Really?" Naruto's tone was skeptical at best as he gave Kiba a stare down before the other man huffed.

"Hells yeah, I'm a fuck'n beast," Kiba said just before Sasuke walked into the room to grab something.

"Off the bed, now, or get out of the house," Sasuke said without even looking at Kiba.

"Nah," was all Kiba said and Naruto managed an awkward smile, but he was left completely confused with Sasuke's behaviour.

"You know, whenever we fuck, we like to do it on that side of the bed," Sasuke mused.

Kiba was off the bed without another word, "Damn it, why do you have to be that way? Ugh, great, now that's all I'm seeing," He said as he backed toward the door.

"I'm sure I can find a way to permanently remove that image from your brain," Sasuke said, and Naruto probably could have imagined the look on Sasuke's face if he wasn't feeling an immeasurable amount of humiliation paired with rage.

"Whatever, I'm out of here, I'll see you when I get that image out of my head Naruto," He said as he made his way down the hall with a grimace on his face.

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto but didn't seem to notice just how furious he really was. "Sasuke…" Naruto said levelly. Sasuke simply continued to stare. "Get out," He said, his voice was low.

"Hn," Sasuke grabbed a shirt and he turned to leave without a word.

"Unless you show up with Youkan, don't come back in here!" He growled.

"I'm the one who feeds you," Sasuke said over his shoulder.

"That can be fixed!" Naruto yelled after him before he lay back down on the bed with a heavy sigh. He didn't know if he was overreacting or not, he couldn't really tell these days, but he had hoped that they had been doing more than fucking.

A few hours later Naoyuki came into the bedroom with a few things under his arm. Naruto had been jotting things down all afternoon, but for the last hour he had been attempting to balance things on his stomach instead. To say he was excited that someone was opening the door was an understatement.

"Naoyuki," the boy didn't look up and Naruto frowned. It faded from his face once he realized that the boy was on a mission. He climbed up onto the bed and he poured a few books onto the covers before he slid off and left again. Naruto looked down and saw one of Naoyuki's many journals, it was a few minutes before Naoyuki came back in with a small plate and climbed back up again.

"Dad got you this," Naoyuki said as he presented a plate with a few slices of various flavoured Youkan.

"He did?" Naruto's eyes widened, he hadn't really expected Sasuke to follow through with his demands.

"Mhmm, can I have one?" Naoyuki asked as he leaned over while resting all his weight on his arms.

"Any one you like," Naruto secretly hoped he would take the green tea block rather than what looked like sweet potato. He managed to hide a sigh of relief when that was the one that Naoyuki took.

"Yes!" he said before he grabbed the pillow on Sasuke's side and pushed it up toward the head board and set himself up, taking care not to ruin any of the scrolls that Naruto had laying around, but he wasn't afraid to move them out of his way without asking either.

"What you think'n kiddo?" Naruto asked as he began to eat one of the slices he had been given.

"You can't be by yourself all the time! Dad's rude," he muttered quietly as he opened up one of his journals and he began to draw quietly.

"Do you want to turn on the radio?" Naruto asked, he kept one in almost every room for the boy if he wanted to use them.

"No," He said as he tipped his head and began to smudge at the lines. "Did you know that the sap of this tree is most commonly used in Kumogakure to poison Kunai and other weapons? They use it because the an…uhhh…antidote materials are rare outside of their country," He said quietly.

"Is that so?" Naruto smiled quietly as he shifted on his side and looked down to the notes in Naoyuki's journal. It was one of the things he knew, mostly because they had run ins with it occasionally, Naruto's teams had always been lucky that they had competent medic nins with them.

"Yeah, we have one here too but I have it in another book," He said with a nod.

"So is this all stuff for the Land of Lightning then?"

"Yeah," the boy said absent mindedly. "Uncle Gaara helped me finish the one for Suna and Wind country," he mumbled as he copied down a note from a book he had brought in.

"How helpful of him, even though he was busy doing Kazekage duties?" Naruto chuckled.

"Uncle Gaara always has time for me," He said, "Just like Nana…who says hi by the way, and says you better be keeping your butt in bed" he said.

"When did you see her?" Naruto frowned.

"This morn'n…we're not going to Suna this month are we?" Naoyuki said, his voice growing a little quiet.

"No, it doesn't look like it, maybe in the winter. It'll probably be as warm as it is here right now."

"Really?" Naoyuki had a giant smile on his face. "Promise?"

"I promise I'll do what I can to make it happen," he said and was suddenly occupied with Naoyuki hugging him. He placed his hand on the boy's back and he let out a soft sigh as he brushed his fingers through his hair. He felt a little better.

"Colour with me?"

"I'm busy Naoyuki," Naruto said, teasing.

"Says you, but why were you balancing that cup on your belly then?"

"Fiiine, you caught me," He chuckled before he leaned over one of Naoyuki's books once he had been given a pencil and he began to doodle over the section the boy gave to him.

An hour or so went by before Naoyuki finally looked over and he got an awkward expression on his face. "What's that?"

Naruto rubbed behind his neck, "It's a fox eating a bowl of Ramen," Naruto explained.

"Are you sure?" Naoyuki said with laugher bubbling up in his throat. "It looks like a dying frog!"

"Rude," Naruto mumbled as he looked down at the drawing with a flush on his face. He had never been much of an artist, he left that kind of stuff to Sai, but he still managed to feel decently embarrassed.

"Here, you gotta go like this!" and Naoyuki began to draw using shapes that Naruto never could follow. He tried, but the rest of his afternoon had been left with him being laughed at by his own son. Overall, it was a good day, and it pleased him even more when Naoyuki began to spend a substantial amount of time with him.

Week 30 and there was still no improvement between the two of them. He could tell it was starting to bother Naoyuki, but he had tried speaking with Sasuke and all he did was grunt and continue on like he was. He wanted to get angry, but he found that he couldn't work his way around the guilt he felt, even now. He sighed and he rolled over onto his left side and was met with Iruka standing there.

"You're here," Naruto said, his eyes widening a bit as he sat up and pushed the pillows around until he was comfortable.

"Of course, Naoyuki said I should visit more often, and I heard it as a cry for help. I see Sasuke's not here," he said as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed with a gentle smile.

"No, he's probably out grabbing some food," Naruto said.

"He really shouldn't go off for too long with you in this condition," Iruka said and Naruto could tell he was biting the inside of his cheek.

"I'm fine," Naruto said.

Iruka sat there and stared at him and shook his head, "You're lying to me, Naruto. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Naruto's lip twitched slightly, "We just got in a bit of a fight is all…" he said conservatively, but regardless of that, he could see signs of anger on Iruka's face. "We're fine though," They weren't fine, at least, Naruto wasn't.

"Look at you…you're hardly there," Iruka said and he put his hand on Naruto's stomach and the blonde could feel his face flush.

"You wouldn't think that if you could feel her," Naruto said, trying to get over his self-consciousness.

"So you say," Iruka said with a laugh, Naruto imagined he could feel her summersaulting enough to make Naruto feel a little nauseous. "Her, you finally had them tell you? I remember you were adamant in not knowing what Naoyuki was," he said.

"Mnnn, I just have a feeling…Sasuke thinks it's going to be a boy. Honestly though? It doesn't matter to me. I'm happy either way," Naruto said honestly.

"I can only imagine you trying to raise a girl," he said. "You'd spoil her rotten…"

"You said that about Naoyuki and he's just fine," Naruto said with a pout, even more so in his honesty, he'd probably attribute Naoyuki's mature attitude to Shikamaru more than himself.

"He says that you and Sasuke aren't doing much together," Iruka said.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Naruto said.

"You're skin and bone, Naruto," Iruka said. "You take lousy care of yourself when you're upset."

"I can't keep much down…" Naruto said, it was a lie, but Iruka was backing him into an uncomfortable corner.

"I can get it out of you, or I'll get it out of Sasuke, Naruto," Iruka said with a frown.

"If I couldn't get a reaction out of Sasuke, do you honestly think you'd be able to?"

"So he's not talking to you?"

Naruto flinched, "I hate it when you do that…I was stupid…look, I can we talk about this some other time, I really…" he trailed off.

Iruka watched him quietly before he ran his fingers through Naruto's hair. "Think you can sit up long enough for a haircut? The top of your hair is all yellow, and all the roots are platinum," He said with a chuckle.

"Again?" Naruto's head fell back with a groan remembering how pale his hair had gotten last time too. "Yeah, I can sit around that long," Naruto said. He usually just cut his own hair, but he hated doing it so he jumped at the chance, he was even happier when Iruka firmly dropped Sasuke as a topic for the rest of the day. Iruka came over often after that, and a week and a half later he finally got the answer out of Naruto that they had been fighting over his nightmares which had yet to clear up. What surprised him the most was when Iruka left peacefully that night, he hadn't gone in search of Sasuke, he had simply gone home. It confirmed what he had been thinking at least.

* * *

Sasuke sat out on the back deck staring at the garden. He wasn't entirely sure what he should do. It had been weeks since he had last had a full conversation with Naruto. He wasn't proud of himself, but he couldn't look at the blonde without seeing that terrified look in his eyes. He could feel it the moment he had touched Naruto's shoulder how tense he had become, how untrusting, how frightened. It wasn't something he ever wanted Naruto to feel because of him. Before he had returned, he had tried to convince Naruto to hate him, to leave him be because he knew he wouldn't be able to say no forever. Now that he had given in, now that he was here, he'd rather be dead then ever put that face on the man ever again.

To pass his time, he had spent most of his time reading and keeping Naoyuki entertained, that was, until the boy started spending all his time with Naruto. It was hard to tell, but he didn't think he was imagining the fact that Naoyuki seemed to be speaking to him less and less as the days went by. When he started speaking with him less, Sasuke had decided to go through Itachi's old room. It was only a temporary solution, because he couldn't stay in there too long without the walls starting to close down around him.

"This seems like a long way from your lover who's on bed rest," came a familiar voice from behind him.

"I can hear him just fine from here," Sasuke said. "He's anything but quiet."

"I'm concerned that you feel the need to justify that," Kakashi said as he stepped out onto the deck with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked. He was irritated because he knew that Kakashi would never come to visit him out of the goodness of his heart, no matter what Naruto insisted was true.

"It's probably what everyone wants, including Iruka whom I had to convince to calm down and not attempt to murder you," He said with a shrug as he stepped down onto one of the steps into the garden and looked straight up to the sky. It was orange, and made everything look so warm, Kakashi's presence did much to counteract that.

"And what's that?" Sasuke said, ready to leave because it wasn't really Kakashi's business, not only that but the familiar feeling of wanting to tear him from existence was slowly creeping up on him again.

"For you two to get your act together and realize that it shouldn't be this difficult," he said.

"You don't know anything about us," Sasuke insisted.

"It's funny that you think you know so much more than everyone about everything and yet you don't know the one who's carrying your child. I've known him for much longer than you Sasuke, and the way he's acting isn't right."

"He's been acting that way for months, it's out of either of our control," Sasuke said, really only speaking about what outside observers might say about seeing a pregnant man.

"You don't even know yourself if you're clinging to that belief."

"What are you getting on about? If you don't hurry up, I'm going to have to remove you," Sasuke said, not clarifying.

"So quick to burn bridges, you're so used to it that you can't see how close you are to burning down your entire world."

"Out. With. It." Sasuke said through clenched teeth. He could be known for his patience, he had tolerated many things in his life, but his ex-instructor was testing all of that.

"Iruka says this is over a dream? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds, that you're so angry with him over something out of his control that you won't even talk to him?"

"I'm not angry with him," Sasuke said.

"No, I never thought you were, but that's what he thinks."

"He is subject to an overactive imagination," it was the root of their problem after all.

Kakashi stared at him a long time with one eye before he let out a heavy sigh and he stood up. "You're no good for him," he said.

Sasuke tensed immediately, even more than he was, "I think you should leave before I do something that Naruto will regret."

"No. You're going to sit here, and you're going to listen. I'm not even remotely interested in what you think until after I'm finished," Kakashi said carefully.

They stared one another down, the orange was fading quickly from the sky and turning into a summer night where the glow of the sun was just visible over the mountain line in the distance. "You know, I recall when I left that you didn't care so much for him. You hardly seemed to give him the time of day," Sasuke said. His voice was turning cold enough that he could almost feel the temperature change in his body. No, Kakashi had always been far more invested in him before he left.

"You don't see very much, do you?" Kakashi said. "Even if that were true, people change. Not that I see much in you, you're still running."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Then what do you call this? Naruto has a dream, and suddenly you can't even speak to him. It really must have settled any fears he might have of you running off again. It's your instinct to run, and it's ruining him, and now you're not disrupting your life or his, you're disrupting ours."

"My apologies," his voice was dripping with venom. Sasuke wasn't sure he was expecting to hear such a selfish reason.

"I've lost a lot Sasuke, and I refuse to let you turn him into a shell of who he used to be because of your insecurities, he's too important for me to allow that."

"I'm not insecure," Uchiha weren't insecure.

"You're so dependent on him, to fix you, that now that he's having a few doubts, you doubt yourself too and you're punishing him for your mistakes."

"You're wrong," Sasuke said with a growl.

"Am I though? He's believed in you for so long Sasuke, since long before you defected up to now. Very little of his resolve and belief in you has faded, not completely. Now that he's showing some doubt, you're running again because you think he might be right."

Sasuke could feel his knees starting to tremble, but he refused to acknowledge it. He refused to see any truth in what Kakashi was saying, not even if he had been thinking the same things for weeks. "I'm not going anywhere," he insisted.

"But what if he were to leave you? His conviction for his children is far greater than it is to you, and if your relationship hurts that boy in any way, mentally or physically, he will leave you."

"I won't let that happen," his teeth were still clenched.

"What would you do Sasuke?"

"It's not even worth thinking about," he said and he turned on his heel and began to head for the back road.

"It's no surprise that you're running again," the man said.

Sasuke stopped with another growl, but he didn't turn around.

"Do you see how depressed he is? How much he isn't sleeping, and how thin he's getting? Naoyuki keeps asking what's wrong, and no one can give him any answers."

He hadn't been able to look at Naruto, he did everything he should be doing. He took care of him, he cooked for the house, he cleaned it, he was in the process of trying to organize Naoyuki's move to another room…but he rarely looked at the blonde. "Leave," Sasuke said, his voice was quiet.

"Shikamaru would have never done this to him. He's far better suited for him than you are Sasuke."

Sasuke hadn't anticipated his movements, but before long his wrist was firmly planted against Kakashi's forearm. The strength behind the block left it completely immovable, Kakashi was completely solid as was the glare on his face. "Get out of my house," Sasuke grated out.

"It's the truth, and you know it," Kakashi said.

It took a few well-placed hits before Kakashi was pressed against the wall with Sasuke's hand around his neck and his gaze never wavered.

"He would be taking care of him, and stopping to think things through and realize that dreams are things we've seen before, we've experienced. They aren't always coherent, and even when they are, they have very little merit on how one operates their life. Shikamaru would be putting up a strong front because he knows that he has no room for insecurities. Naruto is completely justified to be worried, he'll be undergoing surgery where anything can happen to him, to your child. He's not thinking as clearly as he would otherwise, and Shikamaru would know that he had to be the voice of reason. Instead, he was the bigger man and he left because he saw how much Naruto still loved you even after all you've done," Sasuke's fingers tightened a fraction, but it wasn't nearly enough to inhibit the man's breathing. He honestly couldn't tell anyone what was causing him to hesitate.

"Stop."

"Naruto has every right to doubt you Sasuke, and he's beating himself up over it and it's not good for any of you. I don't want to think what you would do if he left you be it by his own choice or by anything out of our control, but if you don't want that to happen you better swallow whatever ill had pride you have and start acting like you tore their life up for a reason," he said his hand was on Sasuke's wrist now, and the grip hurt, but he didn't let go until Kakashi forcefully dislodged his hand and pushed him back a step.

"Leave…" Sasuke said.

"If you don't get yourself together, I will make sure this ends for the good of my grandchildren," his tone was dangerous before he disappeared into the house and all Sasuke could do was slowly sink to his knees and stare into space.

He had been trying, he had been trying so damn hard to be everything that Kakashi had outlined. He knew how out of whack Naruto had been, but Naruto had a habit of being able to shake every resolve he had ever had, and he'd been so used to fighting the blonde enigma that maybe he didn't know how to be passive. He had been hoping, ever since he saw any chance of reclaiming his family for himself that Naruto could be good enough for the both of them that Naruto could love him enough that whoever he was might fade away. Maybe he was out of time, maybe he was out of time and he still couldn't figure out a way to start fixing himself because Naruto wasn't able to do it anymore.

It had become dark long before Sasuke had decided to move. Nobody had bothered him, Naruto hadn't called for him and Naoyuki hadn't once come to check up on him. He stood and a brief glance at the clock showed him that it was after midnight. He swallowed thickly and he walked to the bedroom as silently as he could. He stripped himself of everything and he quietly slipped in behind Naruto and simply held him close to his chest. He didn't sleep because he didn't want to chance letting go. A half hour passed and the blonde began to twitch. Sasuke swallowed before gently brushing his fingers through his hair like the blonde so often did to Naoyuki.

"It's okay…" He murmured very quietly and his free hand moved to clasp with Naruto's and he noticed how right Kakashi was. Naruto's fingers were thin enough that his knuckles were pronounced more than they had ever been and he silently cursed himself for letting them get this far.

Naruto gasped sharply the next moment and his fingers gripped back tightly enough that Sasuke's fingers cracked a little. Naruto turned and he looked dazed as he stared at him, "Sasuke…"

"It was just a dream," Sasuke said, knowing for a fact that's what he should have said weeks ago.

Naruto clung tighter and he could hear the tremor in his voice, "Please don't leave…" it shook Sasuke.

"Never…" he whispered. He needed it to be the truth. Naruto would leave with him if he asked, and Sasuke needed himself to never need to ask so he tried to steel his will. "You know I won't…" Naruto had to know deep down that he was here.

The blonde shook his head and Sasuke was shaken a little more, but he kept his resolve. "You know me…" Sasuke said.

"I knew you then too…" he whispered hoarsely. "I knew you were too strong to leave…to take Orochimaru up on his deal…I was so sure of it. I felt it everywhere, with everything…and you left…I was so stupid."

Sasuke was gripping Naruto's hand back just as tightly and recalled the words Kakashi had said about Naruto believing in him long before he had defected. He hadn't believed it because they were always butting heads. "I was the stupid one," Sasuke said, clenching his fingers tightly and he buried his nose into the nape of Naruto's neck. "I promise…Naruto, I promise I'm not going anywhere, there isn't a person on earth that could make me leave. Not even you," Sasuke said…and not himself. He never made promises, he never felt he owed anyone that much. But as sure as he knew he was finally speaking the truth, he knew he owed Naruto whatever he could give him, even if it wasn't always easy. "You're stuck with me…"

Naruto was quiet and his fingers gradually relaxed and after a while he turned his head gently, "I'm s—"

"—don't you dare apologize to me. I was the idiot," Sasuke said. "Now…get some sleep, you have a person to grow," He murmured, pressing a gentle kiss just behind Naruto's ear.

It took the blonde a while before he gently began to lower his head to the pillow, but before long he was sleeping again, and he didn't stir again until morning.

* * *

When Naruto finally woke up he did so with a heavy breath in and it took him a moment to realize that there was an arm on his side. His fingers gripped tightly and found that he had a hand interlaced with his. Looking down he identified that it was, in fact, Sasuke's hand. He was so sure he had dreamed everything, but if Sasuke was here then it meant that their conversation must have been real. His brow furrowed.

"Mn, I need my hands unbroken if you want me to make breakfast," Sasuke murmured against his back.

"You're here…" Naruto said quietly.

"Where else would I want to be?" that made something deep inside of Naruto clench.

"I dunno…I want to be at Ichiraku's," Naruto said, it was a joke but his voice was weak.

"Hn…" and he felt Sasuke bite at his clothed shoulder. "I'm no Ichiraku's, but I can get something started," He said as he moved to sit up with a yawn.

"Yes please," Naruto said with a happy hum. He was feeling a little emotionally drained, but finally moving into the recovery from their argument was more than enough to compensate how exhausted he felt. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?" Sasuke didn't stand and instead he turned.

"Have you been thinking of names?" He asked quietly, hoping that his nerves didn't come through.

Sasuke seemed to stiffen and just stared at Naruto for ages.

"What do you think if the baby's a girl?" Naruto asked, he drew his finger across his stomach gently and felt a movement .

"Hn…" Sasuke looked off into the distance. "I wouldn't want her named after my mother…either of my parents," Sasuke said with a look of very hard concentration on his face.

"No?" Naruto said and he tipped his head quietly. "No…I don't want that either," he said honestly. It was a beautiful gesture, Naruto thought, but Naruto already knew that Sasuke was having difficulty facing his past. A name might be too much of a reminder. Naruto on the other hand wouldn't mind, but they might be very difficult names to live up to and Naruto didn't want his children to live in the shadows of anyone.

"Mana…" Sasuke said.

"I like that," Naruto murmured and he thought of the symbols before realizing he had always been terrible at that. He might want to let Sasuke deal with that.

"It's probably going to be a boy," Sasuke said and Naruto smiled at the fact that this time he wasn't insisting.

"Probably..." he agreed. He really didn't mind.

"I don't know…" Sasuke said and Naruto hummed because he had nothing either.

"We still have time," He said with a smile.

Sasuke nodded and he moved to stand up. Before he left the room he took a look over his shoulder and Naruto settled down with a small smile on his face.

After Sasuke had set Naoyuki up for his day at the academy he spent the rest of the day diligently tending to Naruto. Massages, making sure he ate properly, and making sure he never had to do anything himself. The behaviour astounded Naruto, but he was glad for it.

The end of week 32 Naoyuki was holed up in the bedroom with Naruto. Naruto was in his usual spot propped up against the headboard and Naoyuki was hunched over a small book reading quietly to Naruto's stomach. Naruto sat back with a smile on his face and a hand on his stomach.

"'Your city looks exactly like the city I call home.' And so they let go of each other, and they dropped down on their four legs aga—"

Sasuke had opened the door and Naoyuki had stopped and looked up. What happened next occurred so quickly, Naruto had no chances of stopping the boy from swinging his legs over the bed and forcefully pushing at the door. "No!" He said angrily.

Sasuke stopped and the door clicked shut, "Naoyuki, open the door," He said firmly.

"No! You're not allowed in. I'm tired of you two fighting!" He said.

"Naoyuki, open the door," Naruto said with a frown as he moved to sit up.

"No!" he shook his head, "You promised Sasuke! You promised you were going to love him, and all you do is make him sad. Go away!"

There was silence from both sides of the door. Naruto's eyes were wide as he stared at the boy and was shocked at the kind of promise. Before Naruto could say anything he heard Sasuke's footsteps retreating down the hall and he felt his heart clench a little as Naoyuki finally let up and walked over to the bed.

"Naoyuki, your dad and I aren't fighting," Naruto started.

"I don't care!" Naoyuki flopped onto the bed so his face was in the covers and he started ranting.

"I can't understand a thing that you're saying," Naruto said.

Naoyuki turned his head so he was facing the wall instead of Naruto and sucked in a breath. "He promised, he's supposed to take care of you, not ignore you, that's not love," he mumbled.

Naruto bit his inner lip, "Everyone argues sometimes Naoyuki. I know you might not understand for a while, but we have to figure some things out, and it's not easy but it doesn't change how we feel about each other…"

"I don't like it," Naoyuki sighed.

"I don't think anybody does," Naruto began to stroke his fingers through Naoyuki's hair. "But you have to let me and your dad figure things out okay?"

Naoyuki turned to look at Naruto, his blue eyes wide and he stayed quiet for some time. "Fine…" he muttered quietly.

"And…I want you to apologize."

"No."

"Naoyuki, this isn't up for negotiation. You will apologize or there will absolutely be no talk of trips to Suna at all this year," he frowned.

Naoyuki was quiet again and he rolled across the bed until his bottom half slid off so he was kneeling on the floor. "Fine…"

"And you're going to mean it. How would you feel if someone told you that you didn't care about your grandpas?"

"Mad…" Naoyuki had his cheek resting on the edge of the bed and he refused to look at Naruto. "He's just going to yell at me…he always yells at me…"

"I've never heard Sasuke raise his voice to you even once," Naruto said with a huff. Sasuke was firm, but he never yelled. "Besides, you probably hurt his feelings, he's probably sad," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck. It was the only explanation he could think of for why Sasuke didn't fight the boy.

"Okay…" Naoyuki said and he crawled up onto the bed a little bit and promptly rubbed Naruto's stomach. "I'll finish the story later," he said before he made for the door.

* * *

Sasuke had moved into the spare bedroom, it had taken him a few minutes to open the door and once he was inside he didn't feel any better in spite of his isolation…though if he really reflected on it, he'd realize that isolation never seemed to help anything. He looked at the room and he swallowed, and much like every time he had stepped inside the room prior, he began to reminisce over his childhood. Sucking in a deep breath he began to move a few of the boxes that were on the floor, he took a look through a few of them and much of it were Naruto's old possessions from his apartment. He had been there a couple of times and he wasn't exactly sure why Naruto felt compelled to keep a poster of a ramen cup.

He bit his lip as he began closing the boxes and pushed them toward the door, he would have to secure storage elsewhere, or find out where Naruto had placed the furniture that Sasuke had left behind. He tipped his head quietly and thought to himself. He was starting to wonder if deep down he knew that he might return. He had left everything personal to him here, everything was clean and ready for his return. Part of him wished that he had stuck to that plan, that he had seen what he could have had and come home instead of wasting all the time he could have spent with his family. Naoyuki's words echoed in his head, Kakashi's too, and Itachi's. He swallowed thickly as he moved another box a little rougher than he thought.

Sasuke knew that he wasn't ready to return all those years ago. If he had come back, if he had allowed himself to be with Naruto, he knew he would have ruined him much sooner. He was arrogant, but age had at the very least matured him. He would have been malicious, he wouldn't have been the father that Naoyuki deserved. He kept messing up, but he knew that he would become better rather than being the causal link to this family imploding on itself. He never would have considered this room, he would have let his own securities get in the way of his parenting. Even now, the memory of the brother he loved so dearly was raw, the wound would have been pouring back then.

"Dad?" Sasuke tensed at hearing the boy's voice and before he could stand up from where he was kneeling over another box he felt the boy's weight against his back.

"Yes?" He said, not planning on his voice being as hoarse as it was.

"I'm sorry…" He said and he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulder and closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything."

If he knew his son, this was very early for an apology, especially one that sounded real. It normally took a week or so. "You were right, I've been acting poorly," Sasuke said quietly.

"I know…" Naoyuki said but didn't let go, "but…I know you love dad," he admitted.

Sasuke swallowed, he still had a hard time squaring himself with those feelings, but he nodded.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" He asked as he looked around through the boxes before he opened one and pulled out a small blanket.

"I'm clearing it out, we're going to move all these things elsewhere," He said.

"Oh…this was mine when I was a baby," Naoyuki said as he held up the orange blanket with a small embroidered frog in the corner. "I don't even like orange," He said with a pout.

"What colour do you like?"

"Green," He said and he poked at the small frog before he folded it neatly and put it back in the box. "Is this going to be the baby's room?"

Sasuke swallowed, "It could be yours, if you want it," Sasuke said.

"Really? No lies?" He said as he bounced over before kneeling in front of Sasuke as if the truth would only be worth something if they were eye to eye.

"No lies," Sasuke said with a nod.

"Yes!" He got back up onto his feet and he started looking around quietly. "My bed can go over there," he pointed and Sasuke's lip twitched as he stood up because that's exactly where he had showed Naruto where his bed could go. "Is this going to happen soon? Should I start taking my pictures down?"

"We still have another two months before we need your room. If you want to start getting ready, go ahead, but don't pack everything up just yet," Sasuke said because he still needed to figure out a place to put everything.

"Okay," Naoyuki said with a grin as he looked around the room for a long moment. He nodded after he finished whatever thought he had before he walked over to Sasuke and he wrapped his arms around him and looked up. His black hair fell back from his face and he grinned. He had noticed it before, that Naoyuki and Naruto didn't have identical smiles, Naoyuki's mouth was far more like his, but it was equally as bright and it seemed to be calming him down seeing how happy the boy was. "I love you dad," He said and the full force of it would have stopped Sasuke in his tracks no matter what he was doing.

"I-I…I love you too," He said quietly, but Naoyuki was already around the corner to his own room, short moments later he heard papers being moved around. It was the first time that Naoyuki had ever expressed such thoughts to him. The boy sometimes still called him by his name, he was adapting to being in this family just like Sasuke was. He felt so concreted and it was so overwhelming he had to sit down with his hand over his mouth and he just breathed.

He wouldn't have been ready for this.  
He wouldn't have known how to handle this.  
He wasn't someone who could have been loved.  
He would have burned every beauty of this family to the ground.

He regretted missing Naoyuki's life, but he thanked every star that the universe had presented his family to him years later at a time when he no longer emitted sheer destruction.

He never would have forgiven himself if he had ruined them.  
He knew now that he could never leave.

Never.

TBC…

This chapter literally just split itself in half. I apologize that it's a little shorter than normal, but I think it was the right decision to end it here.

T_T You guys are lovely as ever, just so you know. Thank you for all your support.

Please review~

KoriC


	16. Chapter 15

**Warnings:** Angst, Slash/Yaoi, Language, not beta-ed

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, never for profit.

Chapter 15

"What do you think? I'm oh so much more uncomfortable so that must mean something is going right," Naruto said as he looked down at his stomach. To say he had more or less popped over the last week or so was an understatement.

"Or it could be a bad thing," Sasuke muttered. Even though they were back to talking, the tension in Sasuke hadn't seemed to dissipate.

"Che, you know, you don't always have to be in a bad mood," Naruto muttered.

"Who are you to lecture me on being in a bad mood? You've been in a bad mood for a good 8 months now."

"Ladies, please," Sakura said with a growl, "Can we put the lover's spat away for a little while and let me work?"

"I'm not a woman," Naruto said with a growl before he decided to take Sakura's advice, but not without fixing Sasuke with a firm glare. It was week 34 and things had more or less settled within the house. There were issues, but Sasuke, Naoyuki, and he had found a way to exist again and even though Sasuke and he spent so much of their time bickering, he hadn't felt quite so normal in a long time.

"I have your results from yesterday. Judging from your condition and everything I see, I'd say that with your body is in keeping with the improvement I've seen over the last few weeks. Congratulations, your insanity due to bed rest is over, just remember to ease yourself back into things," Sakura said with a smile.

"You're not bullshitting me right?" Naruto asked, not quite ready to let himself feel relieved.

"I don't 'bullshit' as you put it," Sakura said with a frown. It wasn't really a secret to Naruto that the woman had a distaste for his continuous cursing.

"Ugh, best week ever," Naruto said as he flopped his head back to look at the ceiling. "I don't think you understand, if I have to look at those scrolls for another second I might actually rip my hair out!"

"Oh, don't worry, I don't find it hard to believe that your attention span can't focus on something for that long," She said with a small smile.

"I don't think anyone would find it hard to believe," Sasuke muttered.

"You're both awful," Naruto muttered as he slumped forward just a little, his stomach wouldn't allow much more. "So she's fine then?"

"You know, I can tell you what it is," Sakura said. "I mean, the sensor you replaced Karin with already knows," She said.

"Don't say that woman's name," Naruto muttered. "Or I'll have to find her and rip her face off," he grumbled.

"Okay, I know she's a pain in the ass, but I'm pretty sure I disliked her more than you ever did. Am I missing something?" She asked and looked toward Sasuke who had conveniently taken the opportunity to look at an informative poster up on the wall.

"Che, she's evil, that's what," Naruto muttered, not particularly liking to feel jealous he really wanted to get out of there.

"But…that hasn't changed since she got here. Usually you're the one defending her," Sakura said.

"Let's just say she's lucky I can't get my hands on her right now and leave it at that!" He said with a huff as he moved to slide off the table. Sasuke had his hand out for him before he could even make it to the edge of the table. "I'm not invalid anymore! Go away," Naruto muttered.

"Thanks," Sasuke muttered while looking straight at Sakura.

"I don't even know what I did!" She said.

"Can you get out so I can change?" Naruto was a little ticked off and he realized he was probably taking it out on the poor woman, but he couldn't help himself.

"Ugh, fine. You two are impossible," Sakura said as she grabbed the things she needed and stepped out.

"She's gone," Sasuke said.

"Who said I wasn't talking to you too?" Naruto grumped as he grabbed his clothes.

"I didn't do anything," Sasuke said, his voice turning dangerous for a second.

"Che, yeah, well…shut up," Naruto muttered as he slipped the gown off as he turned away from Sasuke. It wasn't exactly that he was mad at Sasuke more than he was mad in general. That added to the fact that he looked fucking weird without clothes on. He was midway through slipping on his pants when he lost his balance and he stumbled back only to be met with Sasuke's arms hooked under his arms.

"Careful!" Sasuke hissed and Naruto could feel a flush burn up his neck. He didn't really blush often unless it was outrageous but if there was ever a time he felt like an idiot, it was then.

"Uh…" Naruto shifted until his feet were back under him and he stood. "Yeah…yeah, no of course," He said clearing his throat as he pulled his pants on properly and pinned the button before reaching for his shirt.

"Don't tell me that I have to dress you too," Sasuke muttered sounding angry and Naruto tried not to visibly flinch. He wasn't very successful in that.

"Sorry…" Naruto murmured as he slipped his shirt on and tugged it down over his stomach…he needed a bigger shirt. "Uh, let's go home," He murmured and rubbed the back of his neck.

He was about to walk by Sasuke when the other man caught his elbow and ducked down to press his lips against Naruto's forehead. "I'm not mad…" He said quietly, "I'm just glad you're safe," He said before he opened the door for Naruto.

The blonde bit his lip and he nodded as he stepped outside and his emotions exploded inside of him and he had to convince himself not to cry for at least ten different reasons. "Yeah…uh…home," He said as he pointed and walked out.

It didn't take them long to get home and once they were Naruto was about to head directly into the bedroom when he remembered that he didn't have to. "You guys better not have killed my plants," Naruto muttered.

"Naoyuki knows more about them than you do," Sasuke said with a snort.

"Book knowledge doesn't equate a natural touch," Naruto said with a huff, even though Naoyuki was particularly skilled at tending to plants.

"Here," Sasuke walked to the deck with him and opened the door. Naruto watched him out of the corner of his eye and when he was about to make the descent down the stairs, just as he expected, Sasuke's hand grabbed his elbow.

"Sasuke…get your hand off me, or you're going to lose it," Naruto muttered.

"Stop threatening me, moron, or I'll have to do something about it," Sasuke said with a growl and didn't budge.

"I'd like to see you try! I don't need you to babysit me!"

"I've been doing it for the past 8 months haven't I?"

"Less than that, and you kno—" Naruto's jaw clicked shut and he pinched Sasuke's wrist hard enough that he let go and Naruto made his way down the three small steps into the garden. "Bite me Sasuke," Naruto muttered.

"Is that an invitation?" Sasuke was down the steps after a while and Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he looked down at where they kept all the gardening tools.

Naruto looked hard at Sasuke for a moment and he could see the tension in his body. He let out a heavy breath and remembered just how nervous Sasuke had seemed at the clinic and he decided to let it go. "Fine…"

"Fine, I can bite you?"

"You're a real jerk…" Naruto muttered before he pointed beneath the deck, "fine, be useful and grab those for me," he said.

"I said I was babysitting you, I'm not your maid," Sasuke said but bent over to grab the box and set it on top of the deck where Naruto could access things easier.

"Couldn't you be? I think you'd look hot in a maid uniform," Naruto said with a smirk.

"Not for anything in the world," Sasuke said with a growl and Naruto let out a low bubble of laughter as he began to go through the plants until he got to their little vegetable garden.

"That's too bad," Naruto said with a snort.

"I thought you were supposed to ease into daily activities," Sasuke mumbled.

"Which is why you're going to do all the work," He said as he shifted the basket he grabbed onto one of his forearms. "See these tomatoes," Naruto inspected them quietly for a moment, "they're ready to be picked," he said and showed Sasuke the basket.

"Really?" Sasuke's brow was arched upward and Naruto only offered a smile before he tipped his head toward them. Sasuke snorted before he stepped forward and he began to pick them for Naruto and place them in the basket.

"We can leave those a little longer…oh look, the cucumbers are ready," Naruto said as he slowed his inspecting pace as Sasuke kept harvesting everything Naruto instructed him to.

"How do you even plan to keep all these?" Sasuke muttered. "You don't even like vegetables…"

"They're not all for us. I package up a few for a couple of our older neighbours," he said with a grin. "Besides, they're fine…I mean they're no ramen, but whatever, and Naoyuki likes them," he shrugged.

"For the older neighbors?" Sasuke said skeptically.

"Y'hmm," Naruto said with a smile and Sasuke managed to drop it and did as Naruto instructed.

* * *

By the end of week 35 Naruto was actually feeling happier than he had been for the span of the entire pregnancy as a whole. His nightmares hadn't quite simmered down, but Sasuke's continual support had him feeling more secure. Naoyuki was at school when Naruto was walking down to his room with some laundry. It wasn't really a secret that Sasuke had been fitting the storage room for the boy. Naoyuki had been packing his things up for the past couple of weeks and Sasuke had asked him where he could place all the stored items in the room. When he walked past though, he saw Sasuke leaning against the wall with the bridge of his nose pinched tightly. He frowned and he placed the basket down outside the door and took a step inside.

"Sasuke, you okay?" He asked and moved in front of the man who quickly snapped to attention.

"I'm fine," Naruto kind of figured it was the Uchiha mantra talking. He bit his lip and looked around. Two shelves had been moved over and Naoyuki had begun to organize things himself but there were still a few boxes left.

"You sure?" He asked and he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I said I'm fine!" Sasuke slapped at his hand and he moved over to one of the boxes and began to quietly organize it.

"Sasuke…you're shaking."

"You're being unusually and annoyingly observant," He said and Naruto felt helpless, more so than usual.

"You don't have to say anything Sasuke…but you know, I'm here if you need anything…even if it's just to yell at me," He said with a soft but sad chuckle. He wasn't taking a stab at Sasuke, he was only speaking the truth. Sasuke didn't stop what he was doing and Naruto simply nodded and he stepped out and then stared down at the basket of laundry he had stupidly left out of easy reach. With a heavy sigh he leaned over to pick it up and head back on his way.

When he was done Sasuke was still kneeling over the same box, unmoving and Naruto frowned quietly. He felt awful, but he didn't know how to fix their problem. Leaving this house wasn't an option until absolutely necessary by Sasuke's standards. Using that room was highly unfavourable, but Naruto had attempted to work around it. They had spoken of putting the nursery in their room for a little while until Sasuke made up his mind on what he wanted to do, but he had already insisted on working through it. Naruto knew for a fact that he wasn't the only one going through hard times, that had gone through hard times, but he didn't know what more he could do for Sasuke at this point in time.

An hour went by and when Naruto made another round of the house he had been in the middle of convincing himself he wasn't completely exhausted when he noticed Sasuke still hadn't moved. He frowned and stepped inside, "Sasuke, come on," he said and he walked forward to touch his shoulder only to have it slapped away again.

"Quit hitting me!" Naruto said, suddenly annoyed but he didn't reach out again. "You've been here for two hours now, in the same place and I highly doubt that you're meditating. Now you can either get up and go for a walk to clear your head, or talk to me, but you can't just sit there."

"Don't you dare think you can tell me what to do," Sasuke said with a glare. Naruto almost slumped, he knew Sasuke had issues with control, that hadn't what he had been trying to do.

"I gave you perfectly viable options…I wish you'd talk to me," Naruto said quietly and he wished he could have been relieved when Sasuke finally moved, he folded the box closed and placed it on top of another load that Naruto assumed he was going to take out. Before he had closed it he had seen a photo of Sasuke's family.

"You don't need to be in every aspect of my life," Sasuke said and he stood until they were face to face, well, as close as they could come to it.

"I'm not trying to be, but I bet you if I didn't say anything you would have been sulking in the same spot all night," Naruto said, feeling like he was fighting a losing battle.

Sasuke was staring at him hard, almost to the point where he wasn't blinking. "You wouldn't understand," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto looked at him and he could see all the telltale signs of Sasuke breaking down. He wished he had seen them sooner because he would have insisted on waiting to set up the room until he was fit enough to help move the heavier objects, and do this alongside Sasuke. "I probably wouldn't," He murmured quietly.

"You couldn't," He said and he heard Sasuke's already deep voice growing deeper.

"I know…" He said softly and he slowly reached forward until their fingertips were linked, going slow as if not to spook the other man.

"So don't pretend you can lecture me on how I'm supposed to act when…" Sasuke trailed off and Naruto could feel him shaking.

Naruto opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, as if he were going to tell Sasuke he wasn't trying to lecture him. Nothing came out of his mouth when he tried though. He looked at Sasuke and behind his glare, a look that would send so many running; he could see the waver in Sasuke.

"When…you have no idea what it's like to face someone who you thought betrayed you so deeply…" Sasuke's voice was growing less harsh and he was looking as if he were going to run.

Naruto's brow furrowed and he curled his fingers, tugging Sasuke forward until he could effectively place his arms around the man. It was awkward, but the moment they finally settled together, Sasuke's arms gripped tightly at the shirt on his back. No sooner had Sasuke's face rested against his shoulder than he heard a single deep sob and all he could do was gently run his hand down Sasuke's back. His free hand slipped into Sasuke's hair and he let the man do what he needed to. "I've got you."

Sasuke's fingers were wound so tightly in his shirt and he gradually quieted down until he was just resting there on Naruto's shoulder. "I've got you…" He whispered. He couldn't see into Sasuke's head and there were a lot of things that Naruto knew he would never understand, but he had full confidence in Sasuke that he could find a way to overcome this.

"Do you know what he said to me?" Sasuke murmured, his voice still unnaturally deep.

Naruto shook his head quietly, and simply continued the slow soothing gestures.

"He said he'd love me, no matter how I chose to live my life…like it makes it easier," He muttered. "Like it makes anything easier…"

Naruto opened his eyes and quietly looked over Sasuke's shoulder. It couldn't have been easy, being betrayed by someone you loved only to be manipulated by them. Sasuke had to face so many uncomfortable truths about Itachi and his family…hearing an I love you after everything those two had been through, it must have been a terribly wonderful thing to hear. Naruto wasn't surprised that even after all this time that Sasuke could be so conflicted. "I know…" Naruto said quietly.

"You don't," Sasuke said, but all the anger was gone and Sasuke sounded exhausted.

Naruto quieted down for a moment before he pulled back. Sasuke didn't let go of him and Naruto gave up on any plans he had of looking Sasuke in the face. "I'm sorry Sasuke…it's not easy being tasked with living on," Naruto said quietly. He could understand, Naruto had lived through it, lived through being given a reason to go on after all who had loved him had left. Naruto had been granted the blessing of ignorance for long enough that he knew how to carry on. Sasuke was still trying to figure it out how to be one of the two remaining Uchiha. "But you'll be okay," Naruto promised quietly. He didn't want to tell Sasuke it was time to let go, because he had no right to say anything of the sort. He only hoped that Sasuke would be able to do it safely and in time.

Sasuke was quiet after that, and the way his fingers continually gripped at his own and slowly relaxed led Naruto to believe that he was thinking to himself. He breathed in deeply before he pulled back and any sign that he might have been crying were completely gone from his face. Naruto's eyes widened a fraction when Sasuke brushed his hair back and pressed his lips to his forehead. "Your hair is really pale…" he said quietly.

It was an apology, Naruto could hear the apology for yelling at him, for any hostile action he had taken with Naruto and he offered a small smile. "Yeah…it'll go back to normal afterward," He said, knowing from experience.

"You should get off your feet, you've been up and around all day," Sasuke said, his voice a very low and gentle hum, the kind of voice that would soothe Naruto to sleep if the conditions were right.

"I'm fine," Naruto insisted and he was about to step back when he felt a pale hand on his jaw and Sasuke's lips on his.

"I should go get Naoyuki," he said and he stepped out of the room. Naruto looked at the empty doorway and he touched his fingers to his lips. He could feel in that kiss, a thank you.

Naruto looked over to the box and he let out a heavy breath. He walked over and he attempted to carefully pull it open and when he did he picked up the photo. It was of Sasuke as a toddler with his fingers wrapped tightly around Itachi's hand, his father sitting with a cup of tea in another world. He was about to put the frame down when a glint caught his eye. With a frown he reached down and he froze when his hands closed around a familiar shape. When he lifted his hand there was Sasuke's hitai-ate with a strike firmly through the emblem of the village that Naruto loved. He swallowed deeply as his thumb ran over the metal. He had always planned to give it back to Sasuke when he returned, that was before when his life revolved around Sasuke and not their son. He breathed out slowly and he gently placed everything back into the box before he folded it shut again and noted briefly that each box beneath the one he had just closed were taped firmly shut. He had wondered how Sasuke had come to the specific words he had, now that he had an idea, Naruto found himself wondering if Sasuke would ever forgive himself.

He placed a hand on his stomach and moved to the door, he looked over his shoulder briefly and sighed. "Your dads are pretty messed up…" Naruto murmured quietly not at all thinking he was exempt from their brand of dysfunctional.

* * *

When Sasuke left the house he was rather shaken. He walked with his hands shoved in his pockets and he did so at a slow pace because whenever he was late, Naoyuki simply stayed in the classroom with Iruka until he saw Sasuke from the window. Stumbling upon the box had been a shock, he had always expected to be faced with memories of his family and of Itachi in that room, but he had never expected to come across his old hitai-ate. He hadn't thought of it in so long, not even when Naruto had made his case to the council of how he should be reinstated. He had never planned on doing that, not until recently. It was mostly Naruto's doing, he understood that when Naruto was fighting to keep him alive, that anything he said to the council was simply that, a point that Sasuke didn't have to take into consideration if it wasn't in his interest, and it hadn't been. He had done his duty to this village a long time ago. When Naruto told him of the plans on him taking over of the fifth's responsibilities were being discussed, his opinion had begun to change. Naruto told him what was going to happen, over the next year they were going to allow Naruto to settle into his life with a second child, and when the blonde felt ready they were going to gradually phase him into the position he had been training for ever since the war had ended. There would be an eventual ceremony and the fifth would gradually fade into the background.

Sasuke didn't trust anyone else with Naruto's wellbeing. There was a point where he would be the one at home with both their children, but after that, Sasuke had every intention of working his way through whatever ranks he could to protect his family. When he saw the protector with the strike he had manually placed there in the metal, it caused him to stop and think. How could he trust anyone else with Naruto's wellbeing when he shouldn't even trust himself to protect him? Him, the man who had forced his hand through Naruto's chest, the one who abandoned him because he couldn't get his own shit together, the one who continually lied to him and he was right back at square fucking one. He had planned on just working through his conflict when he had seen the photo of himself and Itachi as children, he had forgiven Itachi a long time ago because everything had been explained to him, like the misfortune that had seen to the near obliteration of his clan. Regardless of all that, he had difficulties facing the remnants of his brother because it left him wondering what could have been changed, what could have been prevented, and just how could he a single man forgive Itachi of his immeasurable but arguably sound crimes? How could Naruto forgive his own immeasurably poorly placed crimes? Why couldn't he simply overcome this? It had been 24 long years, and he still didn't know how he managed to fake his way through every day pretending that there wasn't something wrong with him.

By now, Naruto probably knew what was upsetting him. The blonde had a superlative ability for knowing just what was bothering him, if not immediately, then in time. When Naruto had simply held him, it hurt because he knew that Naruto understood what it was like to forgive someone of these types of crimes, he had done it with more than just Sasuke. He had forgiven an entire village for abandoning him and leaving him to live life on his own, he forgave an entire generation for shunning him entirely for something out of his control, his parents for doing what they had done to him, the man who had leveled Konoha to ruin he knew as Pein, and Sasuke among probably many others that Naruto didn't speak of. He understood in a multitude of different ways and still reached out to him like Sasuke's accusatory words of Naruto not being able to understand were true.

He didn't want to go back and look him in the eye, not just yet. He wanted to close his eyes and pretend for another day that he was fine, because he knew that he had dedicated himself to Naruto and their family. Even though he was struggling within himself, his choice to stay was still strong.

"Sasuke…" he heard Iruka's voice and he looked up with a frown. The man had been speaking with a woman who had her daughter in her arms. He excused himself and walked over, "Naoyuki already left," he said with a frown.

"What do you mean he already left?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"He said that he saw you and he ran out about ten minutes ago," Iruka said and Sasuke let out a small growl.

"Yeah, okay…I'll go look for him. He couldn't have gotten far," Sasuke said before he took off toward Sakura's home hoping that he had simply planned on playing with Shin. It took short moments before he caught up with the woman who had her green eyed boy by the hand, Naoyuki was nowhere in sight.

"Sasuke…Where's Naoyuki?" Sakura asked with a frown.

"I was hoping he would be with you," Sasuke said as he took a brief scan of the surrounding area. He hadn't seen any sign of the boy.

"Never, I wouldn't without permission," She said before looking down to the boy who was craning his neck away from them. "Shin…do you know anything about this?" she asked all of a sudden and Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the boy that was younger, but still a few inches taller than Naoyuki.

"No," He said quietly.

"Shin," Sakura's voice had taken on what Sasuke would have imagined would be classified as a terrifyingly threatening tone.

"He didn't tell me anything!" the boy protested before he let out a heavy breath. "He was talking about Uncle Shikamaru today though, he was talking about how he never gets to see him because his dad hates him," the boy said.

Sasuke tensed before he looked off into the direction of the Nara compound, a place he definitely hadn't planned on returning to. He looked to Sakura before he nodded quietly and took off in that direction.

* * *

Shikamaru had been toying with the prospect of heading into town to restock his cupboards as he had been doing all day when he heard a noise at the window. He frowned and he watched it carefully, logic dictated that it was one of two possibilities. Either someone was foolish enough to attempt to break into his house in the middle of the day, or it was Naoyuki the one boy he knew had some unexplained issues with using a door.

"Shouldn't you just be getting home?" Shikamaru said when Naoyuki hopped down from the window ledge with a sheepish grin on his face.

"No, I should just be getting here," Naoyuki said, but he placed his bag carefully on the ground.

"So you have permission?" his brow raised as he studied the boy quietly. His lip twitched, with suggested that the opposite was true.

"Of course not," Naoyuki muttered as he looked around the house before walking up to one of the many troublesome plants he had gotten Shikamaru over the years and began to prod at the leaves. "You're watering this one too much," he said quietly.

"Naoyuki, you know how I feel about you coming over without permission," Shikamaru said. He had already had to escort Naruto over to pick up his son once this year. He really didn't want to do it again, regardless of everything he was only beginning to recover properly. By now, Naruto would likely be showing extensively. His distancing himself had nothing to do with his dislike of Sasuke. If the other man made Naruto happy, that was all he really wanted, but seeing Naruto happier with someone else wasn't something he could do right now.

"Then you probably know that I wouldn't have got permission even if I asked for it!" Naoyuki said, showing his hot headed anger that Naruto so often displayed.

"Then you should be at home. Do they even know you're out?" Shikamaru asked.

"What was I going to say? They would have seen right through me," Naoyuki said before he walked up and looked straight at Shikamaru.

"The rules aren't there for you to break Naoyuki," The boy didn't look away but he could see the self-doubt in the boy, his eyes had always been expressive, even when Naoyuki was attempting to hide himself away.

"I just…I thought that," He looked over to the couch book shelves and let out a heavy sigh. "I needed to make sure that you hadn't forgotten about me yet," Naoyuki said quietly.

Shikamaru was quiet as he thought, but the only thing he could think of was the one thing he didn't want to acknowledge. It was equally hard seeing Naoyuki as it would have been seeing Naruto. He crouched down quietly and he tipped the boy's chin up, "Naoyuki, you're going to have to listen to me," his voice was unusually thick.

"You're never around…you never go to the gatherings when we're there. We see everyone else all the time. It's like we never mattered to you, you said that I could come see you any time…I guess you lied," Naoyuki said quietly.

He was about to turn and likely head back toward the window but Shikamaru caught the boy's hand before he could pull away. The boy was acting differently, before he would have yelled at him, he would have attempted to say hurtful things in his blind rage. Naoyuki was thinking, but what the boy thought was the genuine truth hurt more than any other well placed malicious comment Naoyuki could have constructed. "I could never forget you," Shikamaru said with a frown. "Don't mistake my actions for not caring, because it isn't true, do you understand?"

Naoyuki looked at him and he looked tired, as if he hadn't been sleeping. "It doesn't seem like it's true…" Naoyuki said quietly. Shikamaru knew that this had a large part to do with Naruto's upcoming due date, that maybe the boy was feeling just a bit insecure regardless of however they had resolved the issue the first time Naoyuki had shown up at his window. He couldn't hide from the fact that this was partly his fault too.

"Naoyuki, you're parents need space from me, that's how this works. We both have to respect that, even if it is difficult. You are always welcome here Naoyuki, whether it's now or twenty years from now, but we need to respect the fact that you need to ask first. Now, I need to get you back home before your father decides to tear down the entire village looking for you, okay?" He offered a smile where he normally wouldn't.

Naoyuki bit his lip and he leaned forward until his arms were firmly around his neck. "Do you promise?" He asked quietly.

Shikamaru let out a breath and he rested his hand on the boy's back, "Yeah…I promise."

"Okay," he nodded before he finally pulled back and looked over toward his bag.

"Have you been sleeping?" Shikamaru asked.

Naoyuki bit his inner lip and he shook his head, "Sometimes…"

"Why is that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Too quiet I guess," He shrugged.

"And you haven't told your dad?"

Naoyuki shook his head, "He's gotta worry about himself first."

Shikamaru let out a heavy breath and he stood up, his hand sliding from the boy's back onto his shoulder and noted the Uchiha pendant that hung from the boy's neck. "Naoyuki, you need to tell your father. He would want that more than anything," he had told Naoyuki before, the boy always managed to slip back into believing that he wasn't allowed to be selfish when it came to his health.

Naoyuki nodded silently, "I've got something for you," He said before he pulled away and walked over to his bag. When he returned he held out a black book with both his hands. "I know that you were almost done your last one. It was a long time ago, but you're probably not even finished it yet," Naoyuki said.

Shikamaru took the journal and both his brows lifted, "Thank you…" He said as he looked down at the book. Naoyuki was right, he had a couple of pages left and he hadn't bought a replacement yet because…well he really didn't have the energy to do it yet. "Should we get you home now?"

"Okay," the boy nodded, he had taken his bag with him already and he headed toward the door. He had almost reached it when he turned around a finger pointed straight at him, "But you made a promise, you can't forget that," he said.

Shikamaru's lip quirked and he shook his head, "Never," He said before he reached over to open the door. When he did Sasuke was there with his arm lifted as he was about to knock and Shikamaru noticed that Naoyuki immediately slumped.

"You have some explaining to do," Sasuke said looking down at Naoyuki.

"What's there to explain? You wouldn't have let me come here," Naoyuki muttered unappreciatively but waved at Shikamaru over his shoulder.

Sasuke looked up at Shikamaru "That's…" beside the point, not relevant, not worth discussing. Shikamaru waited for any one of those answers, but instead Sasuke nodded silently at Shikamaru before he turned and walked down the stairs. Shikamaru could have sworn that Sasuke stated Naoyuki's accusation wasn't true.

"No, we're not going home. Dad's birthday is tomorrow and you have to take me to get him something!"

Shikamaru quietly closed the door and looked down to the journal. He shook his head before he flipped through it casually as he headed toward his bookshelf that already had two plants from the young boy. He paused though when he saw the last page, there was a stag drawn there in the middle of a lightly wooded area. His thumb gently brushed over the page and he smiled quietly before he carefully placed the journal on the shelf whereas the others had been lazily tossed onto it.

* * *

When Sasuke had been firmly reminded that Naruto's birthday was in fact that day, he had been in a brief panic. He had never intended to have a brief mental relapse on a day so close to Naruto. He knew for a fact that the man hated his birthday, and he was beginning to see why more than he had before. He was suddenly so preoccupied with Naoyuki and Naruto's birthday that he forgot briefly the odd pain he felt at realizing that the Nara genius had a very large part in raising his son while he was gone. He had taken Naoyuki out to gather things for Naruto's birthday, more plants for their already over stocked garden, plus a replacement for one that had seen its life time through to the end. On Naruto's actual birthday Naoyuki had spent the entire morning trying to convince Naruto to go out to the festivals. Naoyuki had his own clothes ready for it and had been looking at Naruto so expectantly that Sasuke knew he would have given in if he hadn't said something.

"I'll take you out," Sasuke said.

"But its dad's birthday," Naoyuki said looking at the blonde.

"Your dad is tired. Let's let him rest for a bit, and while he does we'll go look through the stalls, and then maybe tonight we can watch the fireworks from the garden, okay?" Sasuke said.

Naoyuki watched Naruto for another moment and he nodded quietly, "Okay…yeah, let's do that," he agreed before he walked out with his warmer clothes in his hands.

"Thank you," Naruto said, his voice a little dry.

"I'll put a note on the door for you not to be disturbed, and we'll be back in around two hours," he wouldn't leave Naruto by himself for any longer than that.

Naruto nodded quietly, "Okay," He murmured and he slowly managed to work his way to a sitting position.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke walked over to the side of the bed and he held out both his hands to help the man up unable to stop his hand from gently caressing over Naruto's stomach.

"You need something warm to wear," he said and he walked by Sasuke to the closet and pushed through to the back before he pulled out some warmer clothes and laid them down on the bed. "Here, you look nice in this one…" he said as he moved to tug at the zipper on Sasuke's shirt.

"I can dress myself," Sasuke muttered as he looked at the simple sweater Naruto had bought for him upon his return over a year ago.

"Che, are you sure? You walked around for how long with your chest hanging out of your shirt?" Naruto muttered as he tugged at Sasuke's clothes until it was easy enough to slip the sweater over his shoulders.

"The heat and I don't agree," Sasuke said.

"Oh, no, I know. You got pretty badly burnt last month," Naruto laughed as he began to fasten it closed.

"Moron…" Sasuke's mouth was dry.

"There," Naruto said with a smile before he tugged Sasuke forward for a kiss. "Don't let him bring home goldfish, he gets too upset when they die," Naruto said.

"How many has he had?" Sasuke frowned.

"Just one, Akamaru knocked over the tank and he was devastated. It's just not a good idea," Naruto said.

"No fish," Sasuke nodded.

"I'm ready," Naoyuki's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Sasuke…try to have a good time," Naruto said with a smile and Sasuke was left only to nod dumbly.

Later that night after Naoyuki had dragged him to every single vendor to sample their food, activities, and trinkets, they found themselves back at home. After eating dinner they settled out at the back and looked out across to the Hokage monument and waited. Sasuke found himself imagining Naruto's visage on the rock and knew that the blonde would do what he could to make this village run the way it should.

"Look, it's starting!" Naoyuki had prodded at Sasuke's shoulder, and when Sasuke looked up there were bright streaks of colour exploding throughout the sky and he smiled to himself.

"This is my favourite part," Naruto said quietly. Sasuke let out a breath as he turned to the blonde and watched as the glow in his skin shifted from soft pinks to blues and yellows. Naruto had told him a year ago that he didn't enjoy his birthday because too much had happened for it to ever be his birthday.

"I have your gift," Sasuke said quietly. "But it has to wait until tomorrow," Sasuke had never been one for gift giving, but as he looked at the grin on Naruto's face he knew that he wanted Naruto to have something to look forward to at this time of year.

* * *

Naruto woke up well rested the next day and spent his day doing normal mundane things while Naoyuki was out of the house spending the night with Shin. He had completely forgotten about Sasuke's promise of a gift until Sasuke took him for a walk that night. Their hands were linked when they came down to the lake and sat down like they usually did. They talked quietly until there was very little of the sun left in the sky before Sasuke helped him stand again.

"Hey, Uzumaki," He said quietly.

"Hm?" Naruto looked back at Sasuke from where he had been looking at the sky.

"I don't like the way that sounds…Uzumaki Naruto," he said.

"What the hell kind of a cheap insult is that?" Naruto said about to get angrier when Sasuke interrupted him.

"Don't you think…" Sasuke's hands were around his and had pulled him closer, "that it's time to put it aside?"

"I don't know what you're getting at," Naruto said with a frown.

"I think Uchiha Naruto sounds better…" He said softly.

Naruto froze and his hands fisted around Sasuke's briefly, "What are you saying?" This was a weird joke.

"Naruto…"

"Sasuke, quit messing around," Naruto said in disbelief.

"I love you," the blonde was shaken because he knew Sasuke loved him, the man rarely said it and because Sasuke never messed around, not like this. "And I think everyone else should know it too," he said pulling out a simple ring. It was a simple band, but it was perfect.

"Sasuke…"

"This is where you say yes," Naruto snorted softly and refrained from telling Sasuke that he hadn't actually asked.

"Of course I'm going to say yes, you bastard," Naruto said and he couldn't help the well of emotion that caused his voice to crack, and he had even less will to try and contain it when he saw a rare smile spread across Sasuke's face too.

Sasuke took his hand and he gently placed the ring on his hand and Naruto reached up to rub at his eyes. "I knew you'd see it my way," Sasuke said and once the ring was firmly placed he pulled Naruto into a deep kiss and Naruto couldn't help the bubbling laughter that sprung from his throat that cut it short.

They weren't perfect, but there was no other way Naruto was willing to exist.

-::0::-

Naoyuki was looking at Naruto's hand when he returned, the time that he and Sasuke had spent together afterward had been spent stupidly affectionate.

"Dad?" Naoyuki said as he leaned over the kitchen counter where Naruto was preparing dinner for everyone.

"Yes?" Naruto said and he held up a spoon for Naoyuki to taste who did without even thinking or missing a beat.

"Why do you have a ring on your finger?" He asked.

Naruto smiled quietly and was about to answer when Naoyuki spoke again.

"And more important, how long has it been there?" He was frowning directly at Sasuke who was sitting down reading in the living area.

"A few days or something like that," Naruto said calmly and he started taking bowls out for the broth he had made.

"You didn't answer the first question," Naoyuki said as he moved closer to help Naruto serve dinner like he usually did.

"I don't remember what the question was," Naruto said, his smile only got bigger.

"Are you guys getting married and you didn't tell me?" Naoyuki said almost whining.

"That seems like an awfully good reason to have a ring on," Naruto said quietly.

"Sasuke!" Naoyuki said all of a sudden sounding angry, but by the tone in his voice Naruto knew that he was more frustrated than actually upset.

"You're a sneak! How long have you been planning this!?" he heard Naoyuki from the other room before Sasuke started scolding him about being rude, only to be scolded right back. Naruto let out a small laugh as he wiped at the side of the bowls and started taking them out to the dining room.

-::0::-

Sakura was just finishing up with the last of Naruto's checkup when she paused and grabbed Naruto's hand. "What is this?" she asked her green eyes impossibly wide.

"I would think it would be obvious," Sasuke said his lip twitched.

"Shut up, I'll get to you!" She said holding her hand up as she inspected the ring closer. "So help me Naruto, if you two already got married and I wasn't invited I'm going to personally rip your hearts right out through your feet!" She yelled at him.

"Sakuraaa! Keep quiet, there are patients out there!" Naruto said with a frown.

"I'll be as loud as I want, now answer me," She said almost looking like she was on the verge of tears.

"We're not married," Naruto said with a frown.

"Not yet," Sasuke said, his arms still crossed from where he stood. They hadn't even spoken about dates yet.

"Not yet better be right!"

"It's going to be small," Sasuke said.

"When did we agree on that?" Naruto said with a frown.

"It was never up for negotiation."

"The hell it isn't up for negotiation! It's not like I'm going to invite the entire damn village!"

"Why do I have a hard time believing that?"

It took a full thirty minutes to convince them to shut up and leave, and it was only because Sakura was shockingly louder than Naruto when she was angry.

* * *

By the very beginning of week 38 Naoyuki had officially been moved into his own room. Naruto hadn't picked up the conversation again on why Sasuke had been acting the way he had been a couple weeks prior because issues didn't arise again. He let the man pack things away as he needed to and once everything was in place he had helped Naoyuki place everything in the rightful places. All his pictures were carefully pinned on the wall and all his books and art supplies were tucked safely away in the closet.

They had dressed the nursery as best they could, and to their benefit when Naruto's birthday had rolled around several of his friends had gifted him with things for the nursery. Naruto didn't really mind, there wasn't much he wanted for himself and since he had decided Naoyuki would have been an only child he had gotten rid of anything that didn't have sentimental value, like his crib.

"What do you think of orange?" Naruto asked with a grin when Sasuke walked in. He had just finished putting together the crib Kakashi and Iruka had gotten them and was bringing Naruto a glass of water.

"Not unless I'm dead," Sasuke muttered.

"I don't see what's wrong with it," Naruto muttered. He was really only kidding.

"I don't see what's wrong with white," Sasuke said.

"It's boring," Naruto huffed.

"What's wrong with leaving it this colour?" Sasuke asked and Naruto looked over the pale green that had always been on the walls.

"It just…I mean, we could refresh the paint maybe, I just feel like it needs a change. Besides, what if the baby's a girl?"

"It's not," Sasuke took a drink of his water.

"We still haven't thought up names," Naruto said and he rubbed at his aching back trying to ignore the fact that he needed the bathroom yet again. He was seriously starting to consider putting a clamp on Sasuke's junk, because within the first three times they had sex, they had gained two children.

"I thought we discussed names if it was a girl," Sasuke said as he began setting up a small changing table and Naruto automatically moved to hold things in the right place for the man.

"What about a boy?"

"I have no idea," Sasuke asked and Naruto almost pouted.

"You haven't put any thought into it?"

"Not as much as I apparently should have," Sasuke said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Jiro."

"No."

"Then I don't know what to tell you Naruto," Sasuke said with a sigh. Naruto looked at him and he let out a soft grunt as he felt a weird sensation and he put his hand on the wall and shook his head.

"Uh…Sasuke," Naruto murmured. He had felt something like this earlier too, but he hadn't thought on it because it didn't feel quite as bad.

"To be completely honest, I can't start thinking about it without getting a little stressed out," Sasuke admitted and Naruto probably would have appreciated it a little bit more if he wasn't panicking inside.

"Sasuke, I have to get to the hospital," he said and he reached out for Sasuke's hand who reached out to meet him immediately.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked and he was already moving. "Naoyuki!"

"Uh…well, I think that the baby is trying to, hgnnn," Naruto held his breath for a moment as the continuing pain grew and radiated down his thighs. "Uh…yeah," He muttered when the pain subsided for the moment.

"Shit…" Sasuke said and that's exactly what Naruto had been thinking. The first couple of contractions, and he was assuming it was only a few so far had been so far apart. He honestly hardly noticed the first one, this one on the other hand was just a pain in the ass.

"Did you call me?" Naoyuki ran in from the deck.

"You need to go to your grandpa's house," Naruto said and swallowed thickly. "Looks like you're going to be a big brother a little sooner than planned," Naruto said, trying to keep the signs of his inner panic from showing on his face.

"They'll bring you by later," Sasuke said, they had talked about this over the past few weeks. Sasuke had been briefed on what would happen if Naruto started experiencing any kind of labour before their scheduled date. "Can you do that?"

Naoyuki nodded quietly.

-::0::-

Once they had arrived at the hospital they had begun to prep Naruto for an emergency surgery. Sasuke had been quickly thrown out of the room by the fifth and forced to wait out in the hall. Something about his anger and tendency to overreact, and how he may just be in the way. It was ridiculous.

Yet, there Sasuke was hunched over with his head in his hands as he waited for any news. It was quite effectively the worst wait of his life. Kakashi had shown up at one point, and regardless of the vile words they had exchanged he brought Sasuke something to drink and clothing and things for Naruto afterwards. He thanked the man but he sat there quietly otherwise.

It was about an hour when someone stepped out of the room but that blasted red light above the door didn't turn off. He couldn't hear anything from beyond them. He let out a breath and he stood up.

"Mr. Uchiha?" he didn't recognize the woman.

"Yes?"

"I have some good news and some bad news," She said and Sasuke's heart stopped.

"Out with it," He said, his voice suddenly growing very cold, preparing himself for the worst but he couldn't guarantee that he could restrain himself if the worst happened.

"You're the new father of a beautiful baby boy," She said calmly, seemingly unaffected by his tone. "You may see him shortly, but Naruto has undergone some complications," and she began to tell him the ins and outs and how Naruto was currently undergoing emergency surgery.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sasuke asked.

"It's a matter of time Mr. Uchiha," The woman said.

Sasuke didn't know how to react, it was his first instinct to become violent, to do anything he could to get any extra information out of the woman. He was about to speak, angrily, probably loudly when Kakashi cut in. "When can he see his son?" Kakashi's hand was on his shoulder like they had any sort of working friendship.

"We just need to go over a few details considering your son's condition," she said.

"Condition?" Sasuke couldn't feel like things could get worse.

"Yes, please come with me. It'll only take a few short minutes, I promise," Sakura was supposed to be the one walking them through this, Sasuke could only imagine that she might be in that operating room as well. He took one look at Kakashi who mentioned he would stay right where he was until he heard back from Sasuke.

"What's going on?" He said, trying to be calm, because this wasn't about him. He had to continually remind himself that this wasn't' about him.

"Your son is in the Neonatal or Newborn Intensive Care Unit, there were some irregularities in his breathing. This is one of the several reasons why surgery is scheduled when it is. He'll likely only be in a few short days to allow his lungs to mature," she said and she handed him a clip board. "We need a few things, the names of people who may visit him while he's in NICU without your supervision, things like that. Have you and your partner discussed any names?" Sasuke let out a raspy breath when she finished and he shook his head. "No? I have him put down as baby Uzumaki," She said and Sasuke didn't have the will to correct her as she began to talk him through a few other aspects. All he knew was that he had placed both Iruka and Kakashi's name on the sheet. Regardless of their standpoint on his person, there were no others he would have trusted more than himself or Naruto.

It was an ordeal after that, the entire experience left Sasuke feeling as if he were in a catastrophic whirlwind being tossed from one corner to the next. "Would you like to see your son?" The woman finally said and swallowing tightly he nodded. "This way please," she murmured and she took him through the halls and a large door he was forced to wash his hands behind. He was then led to a room and when he stepped inside what he saw was an incubator and he could hear a small gurgling noise. He didn't know how to do this alone, it all felt so unreal as his son came into perfect view in front of him. He was small, he had been told five pounds 1 ounce, low birth weight with minimal respiratory complications.

When he was directly in front of him he placed his hand over his mouth and his fingers touched the top of the holder. "That's him…" Sasuke said and he felt an unfamiliar stinging in the back of his eyes, an unnatural thickness in his throat he still hadn't become accustomed to.

"You can hold him if you like," she said.

"I can…" Sasuke shook his head though because regardless of the fact that he had spent the last weeks being taught how to take care of an infant it was gone from his head. He excelled in everything, but not this. He couldn't remember anything.

"Here you are sir," The woman said, a smile on her face as she brought a chair in behind him and he nodded.

"The desk is just outside, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to help in any way that I can," she said.

"Just…tell me when Naruto's okay," Sasuke didn't say when he was out of surgery, safe was the only option or he would bring ruin upon the universe in any way he knew how.

"I'll update you as soon as I hear anything," She said with a nod and she gently closed the door to give them some privacy.

He looked down at the young boy, his skin was deep and he had a thick head of black hair. The baby was sleeping and as he stared down in wonder at the baby who was impossibly small he slowly sat down. It was a good half hour before he let his hands slip through the slots in the sides and he gently rubbed his fingers against the child's hand. "I'm sorry your dad isn't here to meet you…after so long," he whispered softly, he whispered because he knew his voice would crack otherwise. "You only have me, and I'm lousy company…"

Before Sasuke could say anything more the baby's fingers closed around his and when he looked up there were a pair of bright baby blues staring up at him past all the equipment and the tubing attached to him to help him breathe. "You're beautiful, just like he is…" He said as he heard a shaky breath as the baby's hand curled against his own chest. "And you're going to make it through, because you Uzumaki's are fighters," he was suddenly glad for the privacy.

The door opened after a moment and Iruka's face appeared at the door and Sasuke couldn't feel anger at the fact that he wasn't being updated on Naruto's condition. "How're you holding up?" He said quietly as he stepped inside and carefully leaned over Sasuke's son.

Sasuke's eyes moved back down and the baby gurgled and refused to let go of his arm and he felt overwhelmed, like this was the only reason he was sane. "I don't have an answer," he said honestly.

Iruka breathed in deeply and Sasuke imagined it was only because of Sasuke that the man didn't hold the child and gave Sasuke this moment. "He's beautiful…" Iruka said and Sasuke could hear the weathering on the older man's voice. The situation was difficult on his former instructor too, he tried to keep that in mind.

"Yeah…" Sasuke agreed fully.

"Kakashi is explaining everything to Naoyuki right now…when he calms down they'll be here too," Iruka said.

"Good…" Sasuke needed Naoyuki here, as soon as was possible, because he needed every ounce of strength…because after 16 years of a constant pursuit of power, he was the weakest person in this building.

Iruka gave him several minutes of quiet before he carefully reached inside as well. Sasuke was too enraptured to notice how the other man kept looking at Sasuke to see if it was okay until he too was playing gently with those impossibly small hands. "He's going to be okay Sasuke…" Iruka said all of a sudden.

"Hn…" Sasuke's eyes flicked up to the scarred man only briefly.

"It probably doesn't mean much…but he wouldn't miss this, fate couldn't keep him from you, or your children," Iruka spoke like his words mattered, like Naruto was indomitable. He was willing to believe anything at this point.

He swallowed and he sat back, but his hand didn't move. He wanted to hold the boy, to keep him close, but he was afraid he would mess it up, he was afraid that without Naruto here that he was nothing, that he wasn't good enough. "Thank you," He said quietly.

"We can take Naoyuki for a few days for you. We've already gathered some of his things, you can spend as much time as you need here," He nodded. Sasuke thought it over a moment; the woman had mentioned the cot tucked away in the corner along with all the rules.

"Okay," He nodded quietly, seriously considering the time he needed to spend with his son.

The door opened again and Naoyuki stepped through, he looked more than worse for wear. His naturally unruly hair was sticking straight up along the side and his under eyes were puffy and he swore he looked a little paler. He held out his free hand and Naoyuki carefully walked over and grasped it tightly before Sasuke drew him close. The boy's arms wrapped around him and Sasuke sucked in a deep shaky breath and felt renewed. "I've got you dad," Naoyuki said and Sasuke swallowed again as he heard those familiar words.

He turned his head and pressed his lips to the boys hair, "Got you," He repeated quietly.

"This is him…" Naoyuki said quietly as he leaned forward, drawing away from Sasuke and the man felt cold. "He's so small…Hi baby, I'm your big brother, Naoyuki," He said his hand was on the glass.

Sasuke managed a small smile and didn't notice Kakashi stepping inside as well as he pulled away from the baby just a moment to grasp Naoyuki's hand and carefully guided it toward the incubator. "We'll find a name when your dad wakes up," he said quietly. Not if, Naruto had spent all these years believing in Sasuke, it was his turn now.

Naoyuki nodded before those small hands grasped around his hand too and he let out a noise of awe.

"He looks like you…" Kakashi said. Sasuke looked up and he let out a breath.

"No…that's all Naruto," He said softly. The boy had black hair and it might have been too early to tell, but Sasuke was sure that's where the similarity ended.

"Mr. Uchiha?" A familiar voice sounded quietly and the nurse who had walked him through the rules of the unit appeared once more.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Uzumaki has been stabilized and is in recovery," She said with a small smile. "They'll send someone up shortly to discuss everything with you, including when you can go in and see him."

Sasuke felt a flood of relief move through him and he nodded, "Thank you…" he said again, but this time he didn't know who he was thanking.

**TBC…**

Okay, I have absolutely no one to vent my Naruto frustrations to, so I'm going to do it vaguely here. The newest chapter is totally killing me and I'm not sure if it's in a good way or a bad way :c

Laskdfjasd…has anyone ever told you how difficult it is to write an Mpreg? This is my first attempt at fanfiction and oh man…I don't think anyone could have prepared me for this.

I'm really grateful to you all, you've honestly kept me going on this large project.

Please let me know what you think.

KoriC


	17. Chapter 16

**Warnings:** Possible Language, OOC, Angst, slash/yaoi, no beta

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, never for profit.

Chapter 16

It wasn't long before someone had come to speak with Sasuke. It was the fifth who eventually stepped in and with a grim look at Iruka and Kakashi they quickly managed to convince Naoyuki to leave with them for a little while. Sasuke was thankful for that, because no matter how well Naoyuki was reigning in his impulsive and occasionally harmful anger, it was best to offer him some sort of way to ease into difficult situations.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, the child had drifted off into sleep not long before she had entered.

The woman had cleaned up before showing up. "Naruto's in recovery, I'm sure you've heard. I'm going to give it to you straight forward, Sasuke. We had complications shortly after Naruto entered recovery the first time. He was bleeding uncontrollably and without his usual healing capabilities, the only way to save his life was to remove the womb," She said, her voice wasn't comforting. If Sasuke could think and observe properly, he might have noticed that this was difficult on the woman as well.

"He's going to be alright now?" Sasuke didn't want to think of the implications. He knew what she was telling him, that they would only have two children. He couldn't feel anything about it, he may have wanted more children, but having his family in tact was far more important.

"He's going to need your support when he wakes," Tsunade said, tasking him with it, rather than informing him. Like Sasuke didn't already know. She also proceeded to tell him how Naruto would likely behave once he woke, he'd be tired in the very least and likely sleep for a while. After a day or so his healing capabilities would reinstate themselves, and the general aftercare of the surgery would likely be half that of anyone else. "He should be awake in an hour," her word sounded vague.

"Should?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"It's an estimate, sometimes sooner, others it's longer. It depends on the individual and how their body operates," she said.

"How was he last time?" Sasuke asked.

"It was a while, without complications," Tsunade admitted.

"Understood," Sasuke said before he turned his head back to the incubator quietly.

"How are you, Sasuke?"

"Do you care?" Sasuke was by no means popular, not genuinely. He and this woman had never shared many words, they simply knew of one another.

"I wouldn't waste both our time asking if I didn't," she said.

"I'm conscious," Sasuke said, irritated and he heard the woman sigh.

"You're a brat," she said before waving her hand. "Take it easy, and make sure to get some sleep. He'll never forgive me if you kill yourself with worry. Listen to the nurses, or I'll take care of you myself," She said before she turned to step out without his answer.

* * *

It was shortly after that he was told Naruto had been moved into an ICU room. He was lead there and explained even more rules to go along with the ones he needed in order to see his son. Sasuke honestly was wondering how he could keep everything straight. He washed his hands and he stepped into the room where Naruto was laying, eyes closed, skin pale, and attached to several machines. He walked quietly forward. The room was small and he had been informed that there were only allowed two people at a time, but Iruka and Kakashi had given him this moment of privacy.

Sasuke's brow was furrowed and he placed his hand at the edge of the bed. Every movement he made was sluggish, from inspecting Naruto quietly, to the way he moved his hand along the uncomfortable material of the covers, to clasping his fingers with the blonde's.

"He's here," He murmured quietly. He knew the man was sleeping, but it was sometimes just easier for Sasuke to speak with no one listening. "I hope that when you wake, that the fact that he's here is enough to heal the rest of you," He whispered while leaning over to press his lips to the man's brow. Naruto had been devastated over the news of losing a child. He never spoke of it, but Sasuke knew he was still affected. He couldn't imagine what Naruto would say once he woke up, or how he'd feel.

"You have to hurry up and get out of here too," He said with a heavy breath. "They won't let Naoyuki in, and he's livid," he said recalling the fit he had thrown when they had been told that children under 12 weren't allowed inside the unit.

-::0::-

When Naruto failed to wake within the time frame that Tsunade had initially gave him Sasuke had wandered back into the NICU where Iruka was surprisingly still there. He looked up when Sasuke opened the door and offered a small smile. "Kakashi took Naoyuki home," which still left Sasuke's answer of why Iruka was here unanswered.

"Good," Sasuke said quietly. Sasuke had been here for hours, and Naoyuki had been there for some time as well. He knew it wasn't only him who had noticed the boy was beginning to nod off. Sasuke walked over and he let out a heavy breath as he looked down to the boy. His eyes were closed and he could hear a gentle hitch of breath.

"Have they told you that you can hold him?" Iruka asked.

Sasuke nodded quietly, his hands slipping inside the incubator to gently caress the back of the child's hands.

"Are you afraid?" Iruka didn't see things the way Kakashi might have. He didn't analyze the same way, and Sasuke suspected that the only people he could truly read was Naruto and Kakashi. Regardless of that speculation, afraid was likely a very good way to put it.

"Nothing like that," He lied quietly.

Iruka observed him for a moment before he walked over to the bag that Kakashi had brought with him. Rummaging through it he pulled out a small blanket. It was blue, much less obnoxious than the one that belonged to Naoyuki as an infant. "Come here," he said tipping his head as he walked over and peered down into the opening.

"He's sleeping," Sasuke said.

"Is he?" Iruka said with a small quirk to his lip.

Sasuke looked down and those baby blue eyes were staring up at him again and he felt a weight fall over his chest, it had to be inhibiting his ability to breathe. "He's so quiet," He said softly.

"He is, isn't that right, peaceful baby? Naoyuki was so grumpy. There was absolutely nothing you could do to keep that little boy happy, I don't think Naruto slept for a good six months," Iruka had a small smile on his face as he leaned over before he waved Sasuke closer. "Come here," He insisted again. Sasuke finally walked over and watched as the scarred man began to set the blanket up to swaddle the child. Sasuke knew he had been shown this before.

"Like this," Iruka began to walk him through it and when he was done Iruka nodded. The man shifted the blanket just a little tighter before he reached inside and picked the baby up. "Here," Sasuke wondered if the man ever stopped smiling.

Sasuke's fingers were shaking and he hoped the man didn't notice as Iruka transferred the child into Sasuke's arms, talking him through everything until the child was against his chest. His eyes were wide and he sucked in a deep breath. "I've got you," Sasuke murmured softly.

Iruka stepped back and Sasuke was far too enthralled to even notice. "There you are, it's not so bad," Iruka said. They were quiet for a long moment before Iruka turned and looked at the door. "I'm going to go up and see Naruto, and then I'm going to head home. You make sure that you get some sleep and get something to eat, or Naruto will murder us both," Iruka said and Sasuke nodded, if only to secure the privacy he suddenly desired.

The following hours went by quickly, and still he had received no news of change in Naruto.

-::0::-

"I'm not afraid to do it," Sasuke protested when the Nurse asked why he was hesitating in changing his son's diaper.

"Then what's the hold up?" The woman didn't sound annoyed.

"You're just…you're going to have to walk me through this," Sasuke said dumbly, not enjoying asking for help.

"Oh, is that all?" The woman said and chuckled as she began to help him through changing his son.

-::0::-

The next day Sasuke had been given a long talk by one of the regular nurses about Naruto's condition. They had suspected that his system was having trouble clearing everything in light of a more critical surgery on top of the one he had already had.

"His healing capabilities have levelled out, we can already see advanced healing in the incision area. It's not unheard of for a patient to take so long to wake after being put under. It's a waiting game now," Sakura said to him just outside the door to his son's room.

"I gathered," Sasuke said quietly. "All people seem to do is tell me to wait," His voice was level.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at the woman Sasuke had learned to be named Fumiko before she opened the door and stepped inside. No sooner had it shut behind them than did Sakura's arms wrap around him. Sasuke tensed immediately, but there was something talking in the back of his head that he should just let her have this for a moment. She sucked in a deep breath before Sasuke reached to untangle her arms from his person. He cleared his throat and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Sasuke…and I'm sorry I didn't stop in sooner," Sakura knew about the emergency surgery, that Naruto still hadn't woken up.

"It's not like it's your fault," Sasuke said quietly before she sniffed lightly and she looked into the room.

"Have you two had a chance to discuss names?" Sakura asked.

"We were…we were just about to when he had to come in," Sasuke said quietly and he moved over to the incubator where he was sleeping once again. "We've rejected three names, that's as far as we got," He said, he didn't want him named after his father, and Naruto agreed the same with his.

"He looks like you," Sakura said as she peered in and Sasuke let out a breath.

"So people have said," he mused quietly and was about to sit down when his son hiccupped before a wail broke out in the room. His eyes widened and he walked over and grabbed the blanket had been kept off to the side and Sasuke gently picked him up, suddenly finding the strength to do so without prompting. He cradled the boy to his chest and stroked down his back, but it did nothing to soothe the crying child.

"Try bouncing him gently," gentle was a bit of a pointless tip, the child was attached to equipment to help him breathe, and Sasuke was not amused at the implication. Regardless of that, he tensed and he followed instruction.

"You're being too awkward," She said and she reached forward and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. She brushed it off. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not trying to steal him from you," she said as she watched him expectantly.

"Hn," Sasuke's expression didn't change, even as her hands rested very gently on his arm and the baby's back, waiting for Sasuke to forfeit the child. Now that he was better able to care for his son, he really didn't want to hand him over. The weight in his arms and even the sound of the infant's cries were enough to soothe him, to remind him that he was human, and that he was here for a reason. Swallowing thickly and he began the gentle transfer to Sakura.

"Here we go, baby," she said, her normally shrill voice taking on a melodic quality that Sasuke had never associated with her before as she began to gently bounce his son with a gentle sway until his cries quieted down to nothing. He felt inadequate. He had a moment of security, and it was gone. "Have you fed him at all?"

Sasuke shook his head, his mouth was dry. He had watched the nurse, she had tried to get him to do it, but Sasuke was faced with so much conflict that he had refused because he was unstable in the aftermath of sitting with Naruto and watching his motionless body. "No," he finally said.

"He's probably hungry," She said as he began to fuss once more, "Are you hungry baby boy?" She asked, like the child would answer. People were unusual. "Here, I'll set it up, and you can feed him," she insisted as she transferred the boy to him once more.

Once his son was back in his arms, suddenly the prospect of talking to the child as if his cognitive abilities were advanced enough for him to understand didn't seem so ridiculous. Those blue eyes, while paler than Naruto's, still demanded from him. They demanded interaction, "Shhh…it'll be okay," He murmured softly, unable to think of anything to say until Sakura had come back.

"Here," Sakura said before talking him through the feeding process, "Sasuke, we've been through all of this before," she said quietly.

"Hn," He grunted quietly as the child began to feed from the bottle, his wailing pacified. "I'm…" he let out a soft breath as he suddenly felt a little calmer but at the same time his heart was racing, and he couldn't figure out how the two could correlate. "I'm not," he wasn't good at this, this father thing. It was almost as if he were destined to become this way, except unlike his own father, he was trying.

"You've had a lot to deal with…" she said quietly. "Have you been home yet?" Sasuke simply shook his head. He had laid on the cot last night, and when the baby had cried he was there to soothe him back to sleep. "It might be a good idea…I mean, just to clear your head for a bit," she suggested.

Sasuke shook his head, "I can't…I can't go out there, I'll…" He trailed off again. He'd do something stupid, he knew it. He was sitting here, watching his son and he knew without either of his boys and without Naruto, there was very little keeping him sane.

Sasuke looked up at the woman for a brief moment and her brow was wrinkled. She couldn't understand how it was to need an anchor. "How's Naoyuki doing?" she asked quietly.

Sasuke's lips pulled out at the sides in frustration. "He's trying to understand, and be helpful," he said quietly.

She nodded and she moved forward to brush her hand very gently across the boy's head gently. "You should get a little rest…go for a walk with Naoyuki or something okay? I have to go home now, I just wanted to check up on you two before I left," she said.

He nodded quietly and when she realized he wasn't going to say anything else she let out a breath and nodded to herself before she left. She had been here since Naruto had been called in too, he could hear it in her voice.

* * *

"Still no name, Mr. Uchiha?" it was Fumiko, the nurse who had helped him on the first day.

"I'm not going to name our son while he's unconscious," Sasuke said with a clipped tone. His fuse was growing shorter and shorter, and by the second day at the hospital with no improvement to Naruto, it was nearly non-existent.

"Of course," She said and offered a sad smile as she looked over the monitors and turned the sound down just a bit as the baby slept. "He's so quiet," She said with a smile, "You must make him happy," she said.

Sasuke frowned and he leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I was beginning to worry it was a bad thing," he had assumed that a child would be fussy, they'd be loud, and that the boy would keep him up. He cried so little that it was hard to believe that this child belonged to Naruto. Naoyuki was often respectful, especially in the past few months, but even he had his Naruto-esque moments.

"There's nothing to worry about," she said, her voice holding a gentle sing song tune as she spoke. She was almost too happy. "Every baby is different, isn't that right little guy?" she said with a smile as she continued to work.

It was all as well, Sasuke couldn't sleep with the silence either, and when the child did weep it broke his heart a little bit each time. "How is he doing?" Sasuke asked. He tolerated the woman because she was respectful, and because she didn't know Sasuke, or any of them. It was nice to have an outside figure to balance this mess, because when Naoyuki was here he was a mess. Iruka was growing more and more weary, and Kakashi had always seen too much. Whenever his former instructor was here, Sasuke tried to be elsewhere because he couldn't take another talk, not like the one they had short months prior, fuck it if he was running. He needed every ounce of sanity he could keep.

"He seems to be doing perfect," She said, the permanent smile on her face only seemed to grow. "In fact, I believe that once the doctor makes their rounds and a little paper work is done, we can approve him to go home tomorrow," she said as her fingers moved to grasp the child's carefully as not to wake him. "Tough little guy is breathing perfectly and his weight is up," she said.

"Home…" Sasuke said quietly, and he felt shaken because taking the boy back to his childhood house didn't feel right.

"You're going to get a much more comfortable room mister," she said and Sasuke stood quietly.

"Thank you," He said with a quiet nod before he moved to the door quietly only to be met with Naoyuki.

"Dad," His eyes were wide, but everything that indicated that he wasn't sleeping was still there, only worse. "Where are you going?" he asked and Sasuke looked up to see Kakashi who had an evaluating gaze pinned on him.

He crouched down and he placed his hand on Naoyuki's shoulder and was quiet for a moment. "I was going to go for a quick walk," he said quietly.

"We were just coming to see you and the baby," Naoyuki said, like it was a surprise. He looked over Sasuke's shoulder before his wide eyes moved back to him. Time and time again those cornflower blue eyes tried to pry the truth out of him. He stood when he couldn't face them a moment longer.

"Just give me a few moments," Sasuke said quietly, "I'll be right back okay?"

Naoyuki looked over his shoulder and Kakashi's hand fell on his other shoulder for the moment. "Let your dad stretch his legs, we can visit your brother for now."

Naoyuki finally nodded quietly and he walked in and as Sasuke pushed passed the silver haired man, Kakashi never took his eyes off Sasuke. He was thankful that the man didn't say a word.

He walked through the halls quickly before he made it to a quiet court yard. It was only the slightest bit refreshing not to smell the heavily sterilized scent of the hospital halls. He stepped into the middle of one of the walk ways and his fists tightened until he was sure his nails had punctured his palms. "Damn it!" he growled out and it was another moment before the pure scent of warm weather, fresh in the heavily planted garden hit him. His fingers moved to pinch the bridge of his nose and his free hand moved to clutch tightly at his elbow. "I can't do this…" Naruto needed to wake up now, he had hours before the situation went critical. Only hours before his delayed emergence became a serious condition to consider. "You have to see him…" he said as if Naruto were there…but he knew he couldn't be in that room right now.

-::0::-

"Are you even listening to me?" Naoyuki asked, sounding angry.

Sasuke blinked a couple of times before he took his eyes off the wall and looked at his son. Kakashi and Iruka were currently up with the child, and giving Naoyuki and Sasuke some time alone. "Say it one more time," He said quietly.

"Why aren't you eating?" they sat in the cafeteria because it was after noon hour and Naoyuki hadn't eaten earlier.

Sasuke looked down to his plate. It was a simple sandwich and he grimaced. "I'm not hungry," He said simply.

"So you're wasting food…" Naoyuki said, his lip twitching quietly. "Have you eaten at all?"

Sasuke seriously didn't know how anyone, let alone everyone, could worry about his eating and sleeping patterns when his moron still hadn't opened his eyes. "Sure," he mumbled, his eyes back on the wall.

"You're lying to me!" Naoyuki said, his voice rising as he raised himself up onto his knees on his chair and leaned over the table.

"Sit down and lower your voice," Sasuke said with a frown.

"No! You don't get to tell me what to do when you can't even take care of yourself! You have to eat!" Naoyuki said and Sasuke wasn't able to tell if he heard a tremor in the boy's voice or not. All he knew was that he was suddenly frozen. "Why do you always have to be so selfish? What are we going to do dad? I can't baby sit you until dad wakes up, you have to help my brother!" he said and he fell back into his chair and his knees were suddenly pressed to his chest. His forehead rested on his knees and his fingers moved up to clutch his hair. "You need to make sure he's okay because that's your job. How can you even do that when you can't…you can't…" he trailed off.

Sasuke watched him for a long moment, "N-Naoyuki…" he was about to reach across the table when Naoyuki slapped his hand. Sasuke hadn't anticipated it, he hadn't seen any signs in the boy's body that he was going to do it, maybe he was more out of it than he thought.

"Don't touch me! You don't care about anything but yourself!" Naoyuki was behaving like he did before they spoke about how he had treated the news of Naruto's pregnancy…but Sasuke couldn't feel anything other than guilt.

He stood next and he moved over and he wrapped his arms around Naoyuki. The boy attempted to struggle for only a moment before his thin arms wrapped around Sasuke's neck. He hugged the boy tight and closed his eyes before he stood, lifting Naoyuki with him. "I've got you…" He whispered softly.

"I hate you…" Naoyuki muttered, but he only held on tighter. "I hate this…" he said quietly, and Sasuke knew that's what he really meant, not the first thing he said.

"I know…" he whispered softly. "I'm sorry," He murmured.

"They won't even let me see him," he wept, and Sasuke was glad that the only inhabitants of the cafeteria seemed to be those working the kitchen. "And you're here all the time…"

"I'm sorry," he whispered again and he rested his hand on the back of Naoyuki's head quietly. "We'll go home tomorrow," He said…because it was home. It wasn't anything else, and any prior hesitation he had in calling it home was gone.

"Promise?" he asked.

"Yeah…I promise," He said, he owed it to the boy who had tried so hard to understand that Sasuke needed to be with the baby.

"'kay…" he murmured and it was a good long while before Naoyuki let go, and squirming slightly he managed to slide back down to the floor while wiping his eyes.

"Have you been sleeping?"

"Have you?"

Sasuke kept quiet before he moved to sit down. Naoyuki was watching him, his blue eyes searching for any part of Sasuke that might have lied when he made the promise. Sasuke glanced at him briefly before he picked the sandwich up and took a bite. Naoyuki sat down a short moment later and continued to eat.

* * *

When Sasuke and Naoyuki arrived back at the room in the NICU, Sasuke was surprised to see the fifth standing there. She stood up straight when she saw him and with the tip of her head, she called him over.

"What's going on?" He asked after he urged Naoyuki into the room where Iruka and Kakashi were.

"I was just looking for you," she hummed, one hand resting on her hip and forcing her outer green shirt to pull off to the side. "Naruto opened his eyes," She said, and Sasuke lost his breath for a moment.

"He's awake?" He wanted to turn around and head up to the room right now, but the fact that the Fifth was there was stopping him.

"I didn't say that," She frowned. "I told you, he's going to be a little groggy, he will probably be up and out again throughout the day. This unit is actually equipped for both child and mother to be cared for at the same time. He will be moved here before long, the only reason he wasn't moved here immediately was because of his condition. Be patient," she said.

"Be patient? I've been doing nothing but waiting," Sasuke said with a frown. For all the times that he had purposefully avoided Naruto's eyes, because he knew the blonde would find him out, that the blonde would force him to come clean, that he'd seen everything that Sasuke meant to hide, he would gladly bare everything for the rest of his life if it meant that he could see them again.

"Remarkably, you have been very patient. Just a little while longer…or…no, there they are now," She mused as people began to clear the room up so Naruto could be wheeled inside. Sasuke's eyes pinned to the doorway and within a few moments Naruto, still sleeping, was situated into the private room where their son lay. "You remember what we spoke about?"

"Are you insinuating that I could forget?" Sasuke hissed, it was part of why he had been so unbearably unstable.

"I'm making sure you're prepared, when he's able to maintain consciousness everything will be explained to him if he doesn't remember," she said.

"Hn…" He said before he saw the hospital staff leave the room.

"Go on," She said, tipping her chin toward the room.

Sasuke looked at her before he turned and he entered the room where Naruto was sound asleep. He was so sick of seeing him this way, but knowing the fact that he had opened his eyes settled him enough to sit down quietly beside the bed for a quiet moment before Naoyuki was allowed back in looking distraught. He allowed the boy to sit on his lap and he ran his fingers through his hair as Naoyuki grasped on Naruto's unresponsive hand. "You'll be able to talk to him soon," Sasuke promised quietly.

-::0::-

It was a few hours and Naruto had opened his eyes twice, only to close them and fall back into sleep. It was night before he let out a groan, "hnnnn...why does it feel like Chouji used me as a punching bag?" He mumbled and Sasuke jumped.

He looked up and Naruto's eyes were on him, and his blonde brow furrowed a moment before his eyes widened. "Sasuke…"

"You're awake," Sasuke said, his hand moved to grasp Naruto's and in a hesitant movement the blonde squeezed back.

"What…" Naruto's gaze moved around the room before it landed on the incubator and with a series of blinks he let out a breath. "Is that…" he said, recognition finally entering his voice.

Sasuke was a little worried before he turned to look back, "Would you like to meet our son?"

Naruto's tongue wet his lips and he clutched Sasuke's hand tightly, "Help me up…" he said softly. Sasuke stood and gently eased the bed up a fraction.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, and Sasuke bit the inner part of his lip as he rolled the incubator toward Naruto before lifting their son out.

"Two days, give or take a few hours," he said and Naruto internalized everything for a moment before Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed, gently urging the child into Naruto's arms.

"Hey there," Naruto said, and all distress that Naruto seemed to be feeling dissipated before Sasuke noticed the man was shaking. "He's perfect…" he whispered softly.

Sasuke watched the scene and he managed a smile before he reached over and brushed his fingers against one of Naruto's quietly. "That sums it up," he said.

"The 18th…" Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded, he was about to mention the fact that they needed a name for him when Naruto spoke up.

"Why is he here?" Naruto asked quietly, his voice was wavering like Naruto didn't know if he was fighting off emotion, or drowsiness.

"You were a little early, his lungs needed a bit more time, they say he can go home tomorrow," Sasuke said.

"Good…" Naruto said quietly.

"I'm going to go tell someone you're up," Sasuke said quietly.

Naruto looked up at him, but it was only after a moment of great struggle to tear his eyes away from the child in his arms. It took seconds before he looked down, "Something's wrong…"

Sasuke cursed and he looked back toward the door again, "Just give me a moment," Sasuke said as he stood to go to the desk.

The next hour unravelled in slow motion for Sasuke, from the time that it took for Tsunade herself to tell Naruto what had happened, to the crumple of Naruto's features as he internalized everything. They had put their son to sleep and Naruto was sitting there staring up at the ceiling feeling much too exhausted to cry even though Sasuke could tell he wanted to.

"Do you want a moment to yourself?" it was Tsunade.

Naruto nodded dumbly and the woman nodded before she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead and she walked out. Sasuke was about to stand and the grip Naruto had on his hand increased. "Don't go…" it sounded like a command, but Sasuke knew it was a plea.

He sucked in a breath and he sat back down, his thumb brushing against the back of Naruto's hands. "Naruto…I'm sorry," He said softly.

"No…it's okay," he shook his head. "He's safe, that's all that matters."

"You're _both_ safe. That is what matters," Sasuke said, his voice gruff and Naruto's hand shook.

"I mean…there are other ways," He said his head tipped, his eyes were darting rapidly.

"We don't have to think about this now," Sasuke said. "We don't have to think about it at all if that's what you want," Sasuke said.

"What I want…" he said it like Naruto's wants were a completely foreign topic.

"You said you weren't even going to have a second child," Sasuke supplied.

"No…but…"

"I'm content with our family Naruto," the stress that Sasuke felt over the initial caesarean was painful, watching Naruto fall into depression during the pregnancy, and watching their family be rocked from its center time and time again was enough that Sasuke never wanted to put Naruto through that again.

"You're sure? But…what if—"

"I only want you, and our boys," He said quietly.

Naruto looked up at him before he rubbed at his eyes quietly, "I'm tired…" he said.

"Sleep, I'll be here," He said quietly, there was little room for the cot now, but if Sasuke could sleep he was fine in a chair.

-::0::-

Sasuke woke the next day feeling a finger prodding him. He grasped the hand and within moments he determined that it was most likely Naoyuki. He moved to sit up and he rubbed at his neck, the last thing he remembered was being told earlier that morning something about how their son was ready to go home, he didn't remember falling asleep.

"Dad…" Naoyuki's voice was quiet.

"Yes?" He opened his eyes and he looked over to Naruto who was sleeping with a very light snore.

"Is he okay now?" Naoyuki's voice was quiet and Sasuke looked up to see Kakashi standing there. The man gave a quick salute before he turned to give them some privacy.

"He was awake," he said with a nod, and he would ask why Naoyuki wasn't in school but it would probably be a dumb question.

"Good…" he said and he was about to sit down properly when a wail broke out behind him.

"M'up…" Naruto mumbled and he jumped when the bright light assaulted his eyes.

"I've got him," Sasuke said unaware of how comfortable he had become in the past few days at soothing the boy.

"Dad!" Naoyuki had his knee up on the bed before anyone could do anything, but regardless of his excitement he was careful.

Naruto stared at him before a gentle smile crossed his face and he pulled Naoyuki close. "Hey, kiddo," He murmured and Naoyuki didn't say a thing, he just stayed there with his face buried in Naruto's shoulder and muffled something incoherent. "I can't hear you," He murmured.

"Don't do that again," Naoyuki said after a moment of hiding. He lay down sideways and refused to budge when Sasuke tried to suggest he do so.

"It's fine," Naruto said, "I feel like I could walk out of here today," He said, Sasuke was amazed at how he was hiding any inner turmoil he might have felt.

"I feel like, that's not what the doctors recommend," Sasuke said.

Naruto huffed lightly, "Yeah, yeah. Here," it was all Naruto said to indicate how he wanted to hold the child that Sasuke had officially soothed.

Sasuke watched as Naoyuki was still curled against Naruto's side and the blonde was staring down at the child who was now gripping his finger and gurgling lightly. Sasuke managed a small smile, "He's been removed from all equipment, and I've been told he'll be released fully today," Sasuke said.

"And I'll be stuck here," Naruto murmured quietly, his brow furrowed as if he was going to start crying.

"It won't be for long," Sasuke said, but had a feeling like it wouldn't matter. Naruto didn't respond and Sasuke leaned against the edge of the propped bed, his hands moving to fawn over the child as well. "He still needs a name," Sasuke said quietly.

"That's right…you waited?" Naruto asked.

"Of course," Sasuke said, as if it was the only reason. In all honesty, telling himself that he and Naruto would name the boy together was him convincing himself that Naruto would awake.

Naruto bit his lip quietly and he let out a breath. "Why didn't we talk about this sooner? Uh, what about…Seito?" He murmured after thinking long and hard about it.

Sasuke's eyes never strayed from the child, and he could probably say with confidence that it was because he was an idiot and that he and Naruto were always fighting because of his idiocy and so they never discussed a name in depth. "What do you think?" Sasuke asked Naoyuki.

Naoyuki looked up to him with wide eyes before he leaned even more on Naruto's shoulder before he shook his head. "No, doesn't feel right," He said and Sasuke found himself agreeing.

"No? Okay" he murmured and he began thinking some more, and after a good hour and a half they were still left with a nameless child.

-::0::-

Kakashi showed up again sometime later and spent a little time with Naruto as well. He took Naoyuki with him when he left, mostly to keep the boy from getting restless, and Sasuke imagined that he was giving them some more privacy. Sasuke was grateful for the act of kindness.

Naruto was lying on the bed, with the child in his arms again and he let out a heavy sigh. "You're going to take him home today, and I'm going to be here all by myself," Naruto said quietly.

"It's not for long," Sasuke said, finishing up what he was doing.

"I know…but…" Naruto stared down at the sleeping baby for a long moment. "Never mind…"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked and Naruto didn't seem too eager to talk.

"I just don't want to be separated," He said softly. Sasuke had a feeling it had something to do with it.

"We'll be back to see you tomorrow," Sasuke said.

"Yeah…" but it wasn't the same, Sasuke could hear it.

"You'll be fine," Sasuke tried, but by the way Naruto seemed to withdraw, it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear.

Naruto was quiet for a long while and shortly before he was due for another feeding, Naruto spoke up again. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?" Sasuke said, handing Naruto over a bottle of formula he had been preparing

"What do you think of Itaru?" his voice was quiet as he urged the child to eat.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he stared at the two, and he must have taken a little too long because it took that long for Naruto to start babbling. "It was just a thought, I mean…I don't mean anything by it, and it's fine if it doesn't work out. I'm sorry…" he didn't like the sound of the man's voice.

"Naruto…" He said, and the man took a good amount of time before he looked up at him. They were quiet, it seemed like all that stretched between them was silence ever since Naruto woke up. It was difficult to know that Naruto might not be as invincible as he seemed, but he was here and Sasuke wanted to soak up every moment of it. He would prefer the blonde to be as unnaturally loud as he normally was, but silent or not, it was enough. He thought about everything they had been through in the last year and a half. How it took them such a short time to come this far, yet somehow manage to stay in the same place. He had been alone so long, and he always knew that adjusting to this life would take a long time, but he didn't have the option of settling. Not with his son, yet he was still unable to put his past self away. Hearing it over and over again from different people telling him who he was, and how he behaved was incompatible with his family had always frustrated him, but he understood it now. Every hang up he had put a strain on their family, all his insecurities managed to do was create even more problems and rifts between him and Naruto and it all eventually took a toll on Naoyuki. Hearing the boy yelling at him, seeing his second son in his arms was perhaps enough to wake him fully from his drowsy state of being. Naruto and Naoyuki had promised each other that no matter what, they were in things together. They accepted Sasuke into that equation, just like they would their new son. It was time for him to stop being just Sasuke. He was an Uchiha, and what that meant now was different than what it meant to him at the beginning of last year. He wasn't alone, being an Uchiha didn't mean being a lone survivor, or an avenger, it was his family as it was then, which included Itachi, and it was his family as it was now. It was well past time to move on, perhaps over a decade, but maybe he was finally ready.

"It's a good name…" he said.

Naruto's brow furrowed and he looked down, "You're sure?"

"Positive," Sasuke said.

"Uchiha Itaru…" Naruto murmured as he looked down at the child.

Sasuke let out a heavy breath as he watched the scene in front of him. His mouth was dry, but it felt right.

**TBC…**

Ffffffffff…remember when I said the end was near? Like 5 chapters ago? Yeah…well I'm pretty sure it's very near now. If things go according to plan (which they might not, because let's face it, this was supposed to be a 6 chapter story.) I estimate two more installments.

Thank you all for being so wonderful, and always patient when I decide to take a little longer to post a chapter. I appreciate everything, and for those of you who are leaving guest reviews, thank you so much for taking the time to do so, I wish I could respond to you all personally, but maybe it's a good thing that you aren't subject to my awkward social skills?

As for the rest of you reviewing, you'll likely hear from me soon, and I'm sorry :B for y'know, me and my awkwardness. Thanks as well to those faving, following, or even just reading, it means a lot.

Please let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time~

KoriC


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